ABSTRACT
Objective To describe depression in liver transplant(LT)recipients and explore their coping styles.Methods One hundred transplant recipients were divided into three groups according to the time after LT:one to six months after the operation(group1),six months to one year(group2)and one to three years after the operation(group3).A self-rating depression scale(SDS)was used to measure their depression levels,and a Medical Coping Modes questionnaire(MCMQ)Was used to investigate their coping styles.The results were compared with those from a general population,and the relevance of depression symptoms and coping styles was analysed. Results The average SDS score of all the LT recipients was 41.03±7.14(42.90±7.18 for group 1.40.71±7.97 for group 2 and 39.69±6.00 for group 3).The average depression scores of the three groups were all significantly higher than in the normal population,but there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups.The depression scores were negatively correlated with the confrontation aspect of coping style,while positively correlated with avoidance and resignation.Conclusion LT recipients tend to be depressed,and the level of depression is strongly related with their coping styles.