Health-related quality of life in haematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors: a qualitative study on the role of psychosocial variables and response shifts.

Purpose Psychosocial assessment prior to haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) can help to identify patients at risk of impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL) post-transplant. According to the response-shift model, certain antecedents and mechanisms, along with changes in internal standards, values or conceptualisations of HRQOL, facilitate adjustment to changes in health circumstances. This study sought to explore the role of psychosocial variables in adjustment to compromised HRQOL following HSCT, from the theoretical basis of the response-shift model.