Psychosomatics 40:6, November-December 1999 479 A Psychometric Normative Database for Pre-Liver Transplantation Evaluations The Florida Cohort 1991–1996 RANDI M. STREISAND,PH.D., JAMES R. RODRIGUE,PH.D. SAMUEL F. SEARS,JR., PH.D., MICHAEL G. PERRI,PH.D. GARY L. DAVIS, M.D., CHRISTINE G. BANKO,PH.D. In this study, the authors describe the psychological characteristics of a large sample (N407) of adult patients evaluated for liver transplantation, and provide normative data on commonly used measures of cognitive functioning, affective status, psychosocial adjustment, coping, quality of life, and life satisfaction. The normative data suggest that the study’s liver transplant candi- dates have poorer cognitive functioning and health-related quality of life when compared with available normative comparison groups, yet the former group is more comparable to medically ill peers on measures of anxiety, depression, psychosocial adjustment, and coping. Data also sug- gest a high rate of affective disturbance in liver transplant candidates. Results indicate the utility of normative data, such as the authors’, for providing an appropriate comparison group for liver pretransplant candidates. (Psychosomatics 1999; 40:479–485) Received December 22, 1998; revised April 5, 1999; accepted April 13, 1999. From the Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadel- phia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Departments of Clinical and Health Psychology and Medicine, University of Florida Health Science Center, Gainesville, Florida; and the Department of Behavioral Pediatrics and Psychology, Nemours Children’s Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Rodrigue, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida Health Science Center, P.O. Box 100165, Gainesville, FL 32610–0165. Copyright  1999 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. M uch emphasis has been placed on the transplant eval- uation process and patient selection as the demand for viable organs continues to exceed available supply. Given the relevance of psychological factors to selection of transplant patients, psychological evaluations have be- come paramount to the pretransplantation process. 1,2 Al- though patient selection criteria are often variable within and across institutions, several psychosocial and behavioral factors have been considered to be either absolute or rela- tive contraindications to transplantation. These factors in- clude affective disturbances, personality disorders, active substance use or dependence, poor compliance with the medical regimen or requested life-style changes, inade- quate social support, and failure to comprehend treatment or care. 3,4 Psychological factors are also important during the se- lection process, given their relevance to posttransplant out- come. Several studies have specifically examined the role of risk factors or pretransplant functioning (i.e., psycho- logical and physical distress, perception of health status, quality of life, life satisfaction) in predicting posttransplant outcome, including morbidity and mortality. 5–12 Conclu- sions about general functioning are difficult to make, how- ever, without the availability of normative data for liver transplant candidates across a range of psychological as- sessment tools. Furthermore, assessment of outcome and other factors is often specific to the transplant center, mak- ing comparisons between sites difficult to perform. Although the importance of normative data on psy-