Psychiatric outcome of heart transplantation.

The authors evaluated 73 cardiac transplant recipients 1 month to 6 years after transplantation to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and psychosocial problems after cardiac transplantation. Affective illnesses had occurred in 51%, chiefly as a steroid-related syndrome, with mood lability, irritability, and grandiosity (22%). Major depressive episodes occurred in 11%. Postoperative delirium occurred in 4%. Anxiety symptoms were frequent (26%) but generally transient. Other frequent problems included cognitive, family, marital, and sexual dysfunction and inability to gain employment. Further effort is needed to reduce psychiatric morbidity and improve outcome for heart transplant recipients.