Substance Use and Psychosocial Functioning in a Sample of Liver Transplant Recipients with Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

Abstract

Despite the frequency of liver transplantation in alcoholic recipients, the burden of co-occurring psychosocial comorbidities remains poorly defined.

Methods: A survey study was conducted to examine demographic, substance use, mental health, and social support variables among liver transplant (LT) recipients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (LT-ALD: n = 67). Survey completers (n = 67) were compared to a sample of liver transplant recipients without ALD (LT: n = 134).

Results: Survey participants (n = 67) were predominately male, in their mid-fifties, and were retired or on disability. Alcohol consumption during the 6 months prior to transplant was reported by more than a third of participants. Alcohol consumption post-transplant was reported by 21.2% of respondents, with 4.5% of participants reporting "at-risk" levels of post-transplant alcohol use. Illicit drug use prior to transplant was reported by nearly half of participants (47.8%), and 16.4% reported illicit drug use post-transplant. Approximately half of the sample reported a history of cigarette smoking, and one-third of respondents (29.2%) reported current cigarette smoking. Participants frequently endorsed mental health symptoms consistent with moderate to severe depression (22.4%) and anxiety (17.9%).

Conclusions: Despite relatively low rates of problematic alcohol use post-transplant, there is a significant burden of disability, substance use, and psychiatric symptomatology in this population.