Psychiatric interview and psychometric predictors of cardiac transplant survival.

OBJECTIVE

This study prospectively investigated the relation between pretransplant assessment of psychiatric diagnosis, coping skills, and social support and outcome measures of survival and health care utilization.

METHOD

Ninety-four heart transplant patients underwent structured interviews and completed a battery of self-report psychometric tests assessing coping style, health status, and psychosocial supports. Follow-up that ranged from 9 to 56 months after transplant produced a group of 63 survivors and 31 nonsurvivors, who were found to be comparable in terms of pretransplant cardiac status and severity of illness.

RESULTS

Survival analysis showed that dimensional psychometric measures of coping and social support based on patient self-assessment were the best significant predictors of survival. Considered separately, interview-determined ratings of social support and pretransplant compliance with treatment regimens were also potential predictors. Formal DSM-III-R diagnoses were related specifically to posttransplant hospital utilization (axis I diagnoses) and posttransplant health behavior (axis II diagnoses).

CONCLUSIONS

The data demonstrate the value of multifaceted assessment, since psychiatric diagnosis, coping style, and psychosocial support may contribute differently to prediction of such aspects of outcome as mortality and health care utilization.