Otimismo, afetos positivos e traços de personalidade em pacientes com indicação de transplante renal

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between dispositional optimism, positive affects and personality traits in patients awaiting renal transplantation and in those who have already undergone the procedure. Chronic Kidney Disease is considered a global public health problem. In the last stage of evolution of the disease, Chronic Renal Insufficiency, the renal functions are already quite altered putting the patient of the disease in risk of life. The patient is very symptomatic, having as therapeutic options the methods of artificial blood purification (peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis) or renal transplantation. This research was based on the concepts of Positive Psychology to investigate positive aspects of the personality, especially the Dispositional Optimism and Positive Affects, and their relations with the condition of the renal disease. Thirty people participated in the survey. They were patients from the Hospital de Clínicas de Uberlândia, divided into two groups: one with 15 people who were waiting for a donor (Pre-Transplantation Group), and another with 15 people who had already undergone surgery renal transplantation without graft loss (Post-Transplant Group). The data were collected in the Hemodialysis sector and also in the Renal Transplant Clinic. Were used the folowing instruments, a socio-demographic questionnaire and three scales: the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), the Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-R), and the Positive and and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The data collected were organized using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) and, because it was an exploratory study, analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, nonparametric correlation, Spearman correlation test. The results indicated a higher optimism in the participants of the Pre-Transplant group (M = 27.93, Md = 29, SD = 2.19) compared to those in the Post-Transplant group (M = 26, Md = 26, SD = 2,84). In the Pre-Transplant group, the Dispositional Optimism was not significantly associated with any personality fator. This may indicate that, in this group, Optimism is focused on a target, rather than on general expectations that good things happen. It overlaps with the general characteristics of the subject and is evidenced as a personality protection factor, or as a mechanism of adjustment to the critical condition of hemodialysis. The waiting list time, as well as the time of transplantation, did not show a significant association with the other variables. One limitation to be considered was the use of the personality inventory in its reduced version, the NEO FFI-R, since it does not allow to ascertain the particularities of the facets that composes the five dimensions of the personality. The reduced number of participants prevents more generalized conclusions about optimism, affect and personality in the population of patients with renal disease, but opens the way in the search for more effective strategies of intervention with these patients. In addition, it is an initial step for the development of more comprehensive research in this field.