Abstract
This descriptive study assessed the experiences of unrelated bone marrow donation in 27 Chinese donors and compared their mood states with a random sample of 78 Chinese adult non-donors using four scales. The donors demonstrated better mood states in terms of anger- hostility and fatigue compared to non-donors. However, their self-esteem was low (similarly to the non-donors), they did not see themselves as a better person as a result of the donation and they thought they did an act somewhat more generously than usual. This is possibly attributed to the cultural influences of normative obligation. The majority (57.9%) believed that they were not prepared well for the donation, and 40% found the experience emotionally less positive than they expected. Some found the experience physically stressful (10.5%) and some others were worried that their future health may be affected as a result of the donation (15.8%). Although a quarter of the donors was unsure whether they would donate again or whether they would encourage others to donate, the majority would donate again. Such results demonstrate that donors need careful and individualised attention in order to gain a more positive overall experience of the donation. Furthermore, services should be more vigilant in assessing donor needs and intervening when donors experience difficulties due to the donation process.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Molassiotis, A., Holroyd, E. Assessment of psychosocial adjustment in Chinese unrelated bone marrow donors. Bone Marrow Transplant 24, 903–910 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702000
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702000