Longitudinal assessment of psychosocial functioning of adult survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Abstract

Existing research regarding the psychosocial functioning of adult survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) indicates that many patients experience difficulties in a variety of functional domains. A critical issue which has remained unexamined concerns the extent to which functioning improves, remains static, or perhaps even deteriorates with the passage of time post-BMT. To address this issue, the psychosocial functioning of 16 adult allogeneic BMT patients was assessed via a set of questionnaires on three occasions following their transplant. The initial assessment occurred a mean of 28 months post-BMT while the third assessment was a mean of 52 months post-BMT. Consistent with previous cross-sectional research, results indicated that many BMT survivors experience some long-term difficulties in physical, occupational, emotional, and cognitive functioning. Results indicated little change in functioning with the passage of time, suggesting that most patients might achieve a ceiling level of functioning within a couple of years post-BMT. At that time, further recovery of psychosocial functioning is likely to be minimal. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for both the encouragement of realistic expectations for post-BMT functioning as well as the development of post-BMT rehabilitation programs.