Use of Coping Mechanisms in Organ Donation and Transplantation with Distinctive Orientation to Brain Stem Death

This paper talks about psychodynamic theory of psychology wherein individuals adopt various defense mechanisms in order to cope with unpleasant thoughts, emotions or behaviors while dealing with multifaceted processes of organ donation and transplantation. Organ donation from brain stem dead donors and transplantation involves certain psychological defense mechanisms like sublimation, introjections, projection, intellectualization, and denial that are explained through a few case studies of organ donor families, non-donor families, recipients of organs, families of recipients, organ transplant coordinators and doctors. The author discusses how individuals behave in different ways in order to deal with the unpleasant thoughts, emotions or behaviors that are intertwined with intricate debates, dilemmas and convolutions of organ donation and transplantation especially from brain stem dead donors. The organs donated by brain stem dead donors are used for transplantation into people struggling for life with end stage organ failures. The paper represents the narratives of individuals through diagrams that explain the nature of defense mechanisms adopted by people and professionals in organ donation and transplantation. Through these case studies the author wants the authorities to focus on issues that could resolve some problems that are encountered in day to day activities by professionals especially organ transplant coordinators in India. There are a number of areas wherein government needs to put efforts like making easy permissions from police, preventing double permission from police as is required in Medico Legal Cases if the accident has happened in one place and the organ retrieval at the other. There is a dire need to start extensive awareness programmes in all related ministries. The government needs to be sensitive to the plight of poor people who wait for long hours to get back the body once they decide to donate organs in Govt. hospitals. They deserve some care in government hospitals during waiting period. Some budgetary provisions needs to be made for the same. One of the very important things is to introduce a topic on defense mechanisms in organ transplant coordinators course to make them understand the coping mechanisms better. Such efforts will help them in understanding each other better and help them to become effective team members.