Abstract :
Kidney donations are fraught with psychological distress, leading to significant depression and anxiety. This case report highlights a potential donor undergoing psychological assessment as part of the Kidney transplant assessment by the Consultation-liaison psychiatry team. This potential donor is a biological sibling of the recipient and was second in line after another sibling was rejected. As part of the transplant assessment, he was referred to the consultation-liaison psychiatry (CL) team for a psychological assessment. En Z was seen on the 12th October 2022. His Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) score were 4 (Anxiety component -normal). Upon review, he has no psychopathology or psychiatric diagnosis. He had an adequate understanding of the benefits and risks of the procedure to make an informed consent. There was no coercion or manipulation in his voluntary decision. He had psychosocial preparation, including a care plan during the postoperative period, with good emotional and financial support from his family. He understood the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle post-operation. Hence the team deemed him psychologically fit for the operation. Organ donation can impact the mental and physical well-being of living donors, and often, the mental health of donors is overlooked. All potential kidney donors undergo pre-donation assessment, psychological assessment, surgical assessment, and post-donation care plans curated by the transplant society. Hence, donors’ mental health and physical well-being cannot be overlooked as they are providing the gift of life to the recipients. Throughout their journey, emphasis should be made on adequate psychosocial support for them and maintaining a good quality of life with the appropriate support and interventions.