ArticleFrontiers in psychology2026
My heart will go on - quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images in patients after heart transplantation.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Introduction: Heart transplantation (HTX), a treatment for end-stage heart failure, is accompanied by substantial psychological and physical strain for recipients. Many individuals develop Donor and Donation Images (DDI), referring to the thoughts and emotions directed toward the donor and/or the transplanted organ. The present study aims to systematically quantify the content dimensions of DDI and to explore their associations with psychological well-being and perceived organ acceptance. Methods: A total of 407 adult post-HTX patients participated in the survey. A self-developed questionnaire assessed 12 content categories of DDI, together with their perceived consequences. Descriptive analysis, gender comparisons, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted to examine the underlying structure of DDI. Linear regressions and Spearman correlations were used in an exploratory manner to investigate statistical associations between DDI factors and psychological and emotional outcomes. Results: The analysis of 402 complete datasets yielded three content factors: Social, Sex/Age, and Identity, capturing different facets of DDI. Women were more likely than men to contemplate the donor's gender, age, and personality traits. Regression analysis showed small but statistically significant associations between the Social factor and perceived changes in personality and behavior, as well as between the Social and Sex/Age factors and positive emotional consequences. Across all models, the explained variance was low. No meaningful associations were observed with organ acceptance. Discussion: This study represents the first quantitative attempt to structure the contents of DDI and to examine their psychological correlates in a large cohort of HTX recipients. While the observed associations were modest, the findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how recipients engage cognitively and emotionally with their donor. The results underscore the need for further research, including instrument refinement and longitudinal designs, to better capture the complexity of DDI and their potential relevance for psychosocial care in transplantation.
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