Stress, coping, and quality of life in family members of kidney transplant recipients.

: This study explored specific stressors and identified coping strategies used by family members of kidney transplant recipients in the first 6 months following transplantation. Quality of life was also briefly examined as the outcome measure. Health-related items were identified as most stressful, and work-related items as least stressful. Self-controlling and problem-solving coping strategies were most frequently used, and escape/avoidance strategies were least used. Findings from this study have implications for development of specific teaching plans for transplant recipient families, as well as for collaborative team exploration of family stress and coping.