A meta-analysis on the incidence of donor-related depression after liver transplant

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is increasing, yet gaps exist in the understanding of psychological wellbeing of donors after liver transplant. This meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the incidence and risk factors for donor-related depression after liver transplantation. A search was conducted on Medline and Embase database. Articles assessing incidence of depression in LDLT donors were included. Incidence was pooled after Freeman-Turkey double-arcsine transformation. For risk factors, dichotomous variables were analyzed with generalized linear model, while a conventional meta regression with logit transformation was conducted for continuous variables. Of 1069 abstracts, 40 articles underwent full-text review. Seventeen articles were included. The pooled incidence of depression among 1888 LT donors was 7.66% (CI: 4.47-12.80%). Depression rates were significantly higher in Asian compared to Western studies (RR: 1.73, CI: 1.19-2.52, P = 0.0039). Female gender (P < 0.001), Caucasian ethnicity (P = 0.047), employment status (P < 0.001) and lower education levels (P = 0.044) were significantly associated with depression. Donor relationship with recipients was not a significant risk factor. LDLT remains a core aspect of the treatment of end-stage liver disease. However, the high depression rates after LT suggest that there remains room for improvement in the care of donors' mental health post-transplant.