Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life in Clinically Stable Kidney Transplant Recipients

Background Kidney transplantation improves survival in patients with end-stage kidney disease; however, cognitive and psychological outcomes after transplantation remain incompletely characterized. This study aimed to assess cognitive performance, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life in clinically stable kidney transplant recipients. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 201 adult kidney transplant recipients with stable graft function were evaluated. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and quality of life using the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Associations between clinical variables and psychological outcomes were analyzed using correlation and multivariable regression analyses. Results Global cognitive performance was largely preserved, with MMSE scores within the normal range in the majority of participants. Minimal or no depressive symptoms were observed in 84.1% of patients, while mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms were present in 9.0%, 3.5%, and 1.5%, respectively. Quality-of-life domains showed variability across physical and mental components. Depressive symptom severity was significantly associated with reduced quality-of-life scores (p < 0.05), whereas MMSE scores showed limited correlation with depressive symptoms. Clinical variables demonstrated selective associations with psychological and quality-of-life measures. Conclusions In clinically stable kidney transplant recipients, overall cognitive performance appears preserved, although a subset of patients continues to experience depressive symptoms and impaired quality of life. These findings underscore the importance of routine psychological evaluation alongside standard clinical follow-up in transplant care.