The Psychological Evaluation of Patients for a Kidney Transplant and Hemodialysis Program

Psychological evaluations over a three-year period of 24 patients with kidney disease revealed very little evidence of gross emotional maladjustment. Most of the patients did seem to have experienced organic losses in intellectual functioning and they appeared to have limited amounts of energy available for coping with stress and limited affective responsivity. The authors emphasize the benefits of properly preparing such patients for psychological testing in order to allay their fears, increase their tolerance to stress, and aid in obtaining the best possible picture of their strengths and capabilities.