A Prospective Study on the Effectiveness of Multifaceted Therapeutic Intervention in Single-Organ Transplant Recipients at selected transplant centres in the central zone of Kerala

Abstract

Background: The study examined psychosocial, behavioral, and medical challenges among single-organ transplant recipients, who
often face anxiety, depression, medication non-adherence, and unhealthy lifestyle practices that can jeopardize graft survival and overall well-being.

Methods: A prospective two-group pre-test post-test design was conducted among 100 kidney and liver transplant recipients (50 experimental and 50 control) attending follow-up clinics in accredited transplant centers in Kerala from January 2024 to January 2025. Participants aged 18–65 years and 6–24 months post-transplant were selected through purposive sampling. The experimental group received a multifaceted intervention that included symptom-targeted psychotherapy, medication counseling, and lifestyle education, whereas the control group continued routine care. Data were collected at baseline and after 3 months using the depression anxiety stress scale, medication adherence rating scale, and HRQoL Survey Form-36 (SF-36), and were analyzed using paired t-tests, Chi-square tests, and analysis of variance at a 0.05 significance level.

Result: The intervention produced significant improvements across psychosocial, behavioral, and lifestyle domains, with reductions in anxiety (P = 0.03) and depression (P = 0.02), and increases in self-esteem (P = 0.04) and perceived social support (P = 0.01). Medication adherence was higher in the experimental group (80% vs. 52%; P = 0.01), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores improved substantially (82.5 ± 7.8 vs. 70.6 ± 8.9; P = 0.01).

Conclusion: The intervention was highly effective in enhancing psychosocial well-being and lifestyle outcomes. Participants demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety and depression, along with improved self-esteem and social support. In addition, medication adherence and HRQOL markedly increased in the experimental group, confirming the positive impact of the intervention.