Aspectos psicosociales, trastornos psiquiátricos y calidad de vida en el trasplante renal pediátrico

Introduction: Renal transplantation is widely accepted as the first-line treatment for terminal renal failure in pediatric patients. The huge medical advances in this area, reducing the risk of death and allowing for positive life changes, must also involve other therapeutical approaches such as those concerned with the psychological and psychiatric aspects of this group of children and adolescents. The transplant implies alterations in the lives of these young people and can influence their psychological state as well as their psychiatric disorders. Objective: To review the literature on psychiatric and psychological well-being in children and adolescents with renal transplants. Methodology: Literature review on the subject and revision of published articles included in the PubMed-Medline, OVID and SCIELO bibliographic databases. Results: There were differences between the prevalence of psychopathology and well-being of these patients and those of the control groups. In the transplant groups, greater maladaptive symptoms, more developmental problems and reduced quality of life were found. Conclusions: The best care for this group should include the assessment and management of both psychiatric disorders and aspects of their quality of life. Further studies are needed to greaten the scientific understanding of these issues in this pediatric population. Studies that assess what happens during the first year after transplant and those that propose a longitudinal follow-up are particularly relevant.