---
_id: '14024'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Introduction:\r\n\r\nHeart transplantation (HTX), a treatment for end-stage
heart failure, is accompanied by substantial psychological and physical strain
for recipients. Many individuals develop Donor and Donation Images (DDI), referring
to the thoughts and emotions directed toward the donor and/or the transplanted
organ. The present study aims to systematically quantify the content dimensions
of DDI and to explore their associations with psychological well-being and perceived
organ acceptance.\r\n\r\nMethods:\r\n\r\nA total of 407 adult post-HTX patients
participated in the survey. A self-developed questionnaire assessed 12 content
categories of DDI, together with their perceived consequences. Descriptive analysis,
gender comparisons, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted to examine
the underlying structure of DDI. Linear regressions and Spearman correlations
were used in an exploratory manner to investigate statistical associations between
DDI factors and psychological and emotional outcomes.\r\n\r\nResults:\r\n\r\nThe
analysis of 402 complete datasets yielded three content factors: Social, Sex/Age,
and Identity, capturing different facets of DDI. Women were more likely than men
to contemplate the donor’s gender, age, and personality traits. Regression analysis
showed small but statistically significant associations between the Social factor
and perceived changes in personality and behavior, as well as between the Social
and Sex/Age factors and positive emotional consequences. Across all models, the
explained variance was low. No meaningful associations were observed with organ
acceptance.\r\n\r\nDiscussion:\r\n\r\nThis study represents the first quantitative
attempt to structure the contents of DDI and to examine their psychological correlates
in a large cohort of HTX recipients. While the observed associations were modest,
the findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how recipients engage
cognitively and emotionally with their donor. The results underscore the need
for further research, including instrument refinement and longitudinal designs,
to better capture the complexity of DDI and their potential relevance for psychosocial
care in transplantation."
article_number: '1813966'
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Leoni
full_name: Wahlers, Leoni
last_name: Wahlers
- first_name: Nora M.
full_name: Laskowski, Nora M.
last_name: Laskowski
- first_name: Georg
full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
id: '85780'
last_name: Halbeisen
orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Katharina
full_name: Tigges-Limmer, Katharina
last_name: Tigges-Limmer
- first_name: Georgios
full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
last_name: Paslakis
citation:
ama: Wahlers L, Laskowski NM, Halbeisen G, Tigges-Limmer K, Paslakis G. My heart
will go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images in patients
after heart transplantation. Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation.
2026;17. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966
apa: Wahlers, L., Laskowski, N. M., Halbeisen, G., Tigges-Limmer, K., & Paslakis,
G. (2026). My heart will go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation
images in patients after heart transplantation. Frontiers in Psychology / Frontiers
Research Foundation, 17, Article 1813966. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966
bjps: Wahlers L et al. (2026) My Heart Will Go on – Quantitative Content
Analysis of Donor and Donation Images in Patients after Heart Transplantation.
Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation 17.
chicago: Wahlers, Leoni, Nora M. Laskowski, Georg Halbeisen, Katharina Tigges-Limmer,
and Georgios Paslakis. “My Heart Will Go on – Quantitative Content Analysis of
Donor and Donation Images in Patients after Heart Transplantation.” Frontiers
in Psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation 17 (2026). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966.
chicago-de: Wahlers, Leoni, Nora M. Laskowski, Georg Halbeisen, Katharina Tigges-Limmer
und Georgios Paslakis. 2026. My heart will go on – quantitative content analysis
of donor and donation images in patients after heart transplantation. Frontiers
in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation 17. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966,
.
din1505-2-1: 'Wahlers, Leoni ; Laskowski, Nora M. ; Halbeisen,
Georg ; Tigges-Limmer, Katharina
; Paslakis, Georgios: My heart will
go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images in patients
after heart transplantation. In: Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research
Foundation Bd. 17. Lausanne , Frontiers Media SA (2026)'
havard: L. Wahlers, N.M. Laskowski, G. Halbeisen, K. Tigges-Limmer, G. Paslakis,
My heart will go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images
in patients after heart transplantation, Frontiers in Psychology / Frontiers Research
Foundation. 17 (2026).
ieee: 'L. Wahlers, N. M. Laskowski, G. Halbeisen, K. Tigges-Limmer, and G. Paslakis,
“My heart will go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images
in patients after heart transplantation,” Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers
Research Foundation, vol. 17, Art. no. 1813966, 2026, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966.'
mla: Wahlers, Leoni, et al. “My Heart Will Go on – Quantitative Content Analysis
of Donor and Donation Images in Patients after Heart Transplantation.” Frontiers
in Psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation, vol. 17, 1813966, 2026, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966.
short: L. Wahlers, N.M. Laskowski, G. Halbeisen, K. Tigges-Limmer, G. Paslakis,
Frontiers in Psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation 17 (2026).
ufg: 'Wahlers, Leoni u. a.: My heart will go on – quantitative content analysis
of donor and donation images in patients after heart transplantation, in: Frontiers
in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation 17 (2026).'
van: Wahlers L, Laskowski NM, Halbeisen G, Tigges-Limmer K, Paslakis G. My heart
will go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images in patients
after heart transplantation. Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation.
2026;17.
date_created: 2026-09-14T05:55:47Z
date_updated: 2026-09-25T13:44:15Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1813966
intvolume: ' 17'
keyword:
- DDI
- donor and donation images
- donor fantasies
- heart failure
- heart insufficiency
- heart transplantation
- organ fantasies
language:
- iso: eng
place: 'Lausanne '
publication: Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 1664-1078
publication_status: published
publisher: Frontiers Media SA
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: My heart will go on – quantitative content analysis of donor and donation images
in patients after heart transplantation
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 17
year: '2026'
...
---
_id: '13583'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Organ transplantation is associated with significant physical and psychological
burden for the recipients. Qualitative reports indicate that organ recipients
develop donor and donation images (DDI)—conceptions of the donor and/or the organ.
A deeper understanding of DDI is needed in the care of transplant recipients.
To present the current state of knowledge, we searched for and identified DDI-related
publications in PubMed and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were (1) studies addressing
transplant recipients, and (2) English or German language. Twenty-one studies
of individuals with transplanted hearts, lungs, or kidneys were included in this
scoping review. Prevalence for DDI ranged from 6% to 52.3%. DDI occurs both before
and after transplantation and includes ideas about the donor as well as whether
and how the recipient’s personality may be altered by the transplanted organ.
Some transplant recipients did indeed report personality changes following transplantation
due to the adoption of assumed donor characteristics. One study showed a positive
association between the presence of DDI and anxiety scores and one described a
coping effect. DDI is understudied and should be systematically assessed to improve
care for the vulnerable group of individuals undergoing organ transplantation.
Current research gaps and future directions are discussed.
article_number: '952'
author:
- first_name: 'Nora M. '
full_name: 'Laskowski, Nora M. '
last_name: Laskowski
- first_name: Gerrit
full_name: Brandt, Gerrit
last_name: Brandt
- first_name: Katharina
full_name: Tigges-Limmer, Katharina
last_name: Tigges-Limmer
- first_name: Georg
full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
id: '85780'
last_name: Halbeisen
orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Georgios
full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
last_name: Paslakis
citation:
ama: Laskowski NM, Brandt G, Tigges-Limmer K, Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. Donor and
Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and What We Don’t. Journal
of Clinical Medicine. 2023;12(3). doi:10.3390/jcm12030952
apa: Laskowski, N. M., Brandt, G., Tigges-Limmer, K., Halbeisen, G., & Paslakis,
G. (2023). Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and
What We Don’t. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(3), Article 952.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12030952
bjps: Laskowski NM et al. (2023) Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A
Scoping Review of What We Know and What We Don’t. Journal of Clinical Medicine
12.
chicago: Laskowski, Nora M. , Gerrit Brandt, Katharina Tigges-Limmer, Georg Halbeisen,
and Georgios Paslakis. “Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What
We Know and What We Don’t.” Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, no. 3 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12030952.
chicago-de: Laskowski, Nora M. , Gerrit Brandt, Katharina Tigges-Limmer, Georg Halbeisen
und Georgios Paslakis. 2023. Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review
of What We Know and What We Don’t. Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, Nr.
3. doi:10.3390/jcm12030952,
.
din1505-2-1: 'Laskowski, Nora M.
; Brandt, Gerrit ; Tigges-Limmer,
Katharina ; Halbeisen, Georg
; Paslakis, Georgios: Donor and
Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and What We Don’t. In:
Journal of Clinical Medicine Bd. 12. Basel, MDPI (2023), Nr. 3'
havard: N.M. Laskowski, G. Brandt, K. Tigges-Limmer, G. Halbeisen, G. Paslakis,
Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and What We Don’t,
Journal of Clinical Medicine. 12 (2023).
ieee: 'N. M. Laskowski, G. Brandt, K. Tigges-Limmer, G. Halbeisen, and G. Paslakis,
“Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and What We
Don’t,” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 12, no. 3, Art. no. 952, 2023,
doi: 10.3390/jcm12030952.'
mla: Laskowski, Nora M., et al. “Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review
of What We Know and What We Don’t.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol.
12, no. 3, 952, 2023, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12030952.
short: N.M. Laskowski, G. Brandt, K. Tigges-Limmer, G. Halbeisen, G. Paslakis, Journal
of Clinical Medicine 12 (2023).
ufg: 'Laskowski, Nora M. u. a.: Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping
Review of What We Know and What We Don’t, in: Journal of Clinical Medicine
12 (2023), H. 3.'
van: Laskowski NM, Brandt G, Tigges-Limmer K, Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. Donor and
Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and What We Don’t. Journal
of Clinical Medicine. 2023;12(3).
date_created: 2026-03-25T13:36:11Z
date_updated: 2026-03-27T09:54:09Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.3390/jcm12030952
external_id:
isi:
- '000929666500001'
pmid:
- '36769600'
intvolume: ' 12'
isi: '1'
issue: '3'
keyword:
- donor image
- donation image
- organ integration
- organ transplantation
- heart transplantation
- lung transplantation
- kidney transplantation
- DDI
- psychocardiology
- scoping review
language:
- iso: eng
place: Basel
pmid: '1'
publication: Journal of Clinical Medicine
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 2077-0383
publication_status: published
publisher: MDPI
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Donor and Donation Images (DDI)-A Scoping Review of What We Know and What We
Don't
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '85780'
volume: 12
year: '2023'
...