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Introduction Uterus transplantation has demonstrated success in clinical trials. Questions regarding how it should transition to a clinical procedure must be addressed. A critical element is an evidence regarding the psychological experiences of living uterus donors, especially donors who are nondirected (altruistic). Project aims To describe the motivations for donation, psychological characteristics, and mental health history of nondirected living uterus donors in the Dallas UtErus Transplant Study (NCT02656550). Design An observational design was used to evaluate 44 self-referred nondirected uterus donors for the uterus transplant program. The donors participated in a clinical interview with a licensed psychologist and completed assessment instruments for depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, health-related quality of life, and resilience at the time of evaluation. Results Among the 11 donors, the median age was 36 years, 10 were married, 10 were of non-Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, and all had given birth (median of 2 children). The most frequent motivations for the donation were to provide another woman with the opportunity to carry her own child and to contribute to science. No participants met clinical criteria for depression, anxiety or posttraumatic stress but 4 reported current mental health conditions and 7 reported past or present treatment. Quality of life and resilience scores were above population norms. Conclusion Women selected as nondirected uterus donors were motivated to help other women experience carrying their own child and to contribute to science. A minority of women reported mental health conditions and/or treatment, and this was determined not to exclude participation with uterus donation.

Untreated perinatal depression and anxiety are significant public health problems that disproportionately affect ethno-racial minorities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a coordinated perinatal mental health care model, focusing on socially-disadvantaged, ethno-racial minority women, with an intersectional-feminist perspective. The treatment model was grounded in intersectionality theory with the aim of addressing complex social vulnerability factors in the context of perinatal mental health treatment. Participants were 67 perinatal women (64% African American or Hispanic/Latina) referred by medical providers at an urban teaching hospital. Results demonstrated high treatment engagement and effectiveness, with 65.9% of participants demonstrating reliable improvement in symptoms. Moreover, African American and Hispanic/Latina patients had similar treatment outcomes compared to White patients, despite facing greater socio-economic disadvantages. Findings indicate that the treatment model may be a promising approach to reducing perinatal mental health disparities. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed within the intersectionality framework.

As risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) operations have dropped, research has shifted toward evaluating the long-term psychological benefits of surgery, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, research identifying mechanisms that impact PTG within this population is limited. One variable with empirical links to PTG is spiritual well-being. The current study utilized regression models to examine the influence of change in spiritual well-being—from preoperative to 1 year postsurgery—on PTG among 304 nonemergency CVD patients. 48.4% of patients reported an increase and 40.8% reported a decrease in spiritual well-being following surgery. Results indicated that only a positive pre-to-post surgery change in spiritual well-being was associated with PTG (i.e., relatability to others, developing/engaging in new possibilities, acceptance of circumstances). Findings support the need to improve the quality of spirituality-related services and training and provides a specific point for intervention for health care providers that may bolster PTG among CVD patients.

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