Comparative Study of Depression and Consent Among Brain Death Families in Donor and Nondonor Groups From March 2001 to December 2002 in Tehran

ObjectiveThe aim of this research was to study the relationship between depression and organ donation among families of brain death cases.Materials and MethodsThis descriptive, cross-sectional study included a sample of first-degree relatives of brain death cases: 54 relatives among 27 organ donor families and 104 relatives among 58 nonorgan donor families participated in the research by the counting method. All families were questioned about their willingness for organ donation and at least 3 months had passed from their relative's death to the time we performed the research. Data were collected via a demographic questionnaire and Beck depression inventory (BDI) with a cutoff point of 16; persons with scores over 16 were considered depressed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Student t test, and chi-square test.ResultsDepression was observed in 20.4% of donor families and 17.3% of nondonor families; there was no significant difference between them. There were no significant differences in the frequency of depression between parents, spouses, and children of the 2 groups. The organ donors' relatives reported the effectiveness of organ donation to alleviate their grief: 66% completely and 32% partially.ConclusionOrgan donation does not have a significant effect on the course of grief and later depression among relatives of brain death cases.