Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.21860/j.16.2.6
Existential aspects of heart transplantation
Valentina Ričković
orcid.org/0009-0002-2644-7049
; KBC Zagreb, Klinika za neurologiju, Kišpatićeva 12, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
Heart transplantation, as one of the most complex and advanced medical procedures, offers patients hope for a longer life, while simultaneously confronting them with significant psychological and social challenges. The waiting period for a transplant can become a deeply personal and existential experience, characterized by feelings of helplessness, fear of death, loss of control, and a search for meaning in suffering. Logotherapy focuses on discovering meaning in suffering and in challenging life circumstances, emphasizing the freedom to choose one’s attitude when external conditions cannot be changed. Its founder, Viktor Frankl, identified free will, the will to meaning, and the search for life’s meaning as the core elements of this approach. Existential questions come to the forefront, especially in situations involving serious health conditions. This paper explores the existential aspects of patients’ experiences during the heart transplantation process, with particular attention to the potential of logotherapy as a form of psychological support. Clinical experience suggests that logotherapeutic interventions can help patients find meaning in illness, accept uncertainty, and strengthen their awareness of personal values – thus contributing positively to psychological resilience and quality of life during this challenging period.
Ključne riječi
logotherapy; heart transplantation; meaning of life; suffering; psychological resilience
Hrčak ID:
344226
URI
Datum izdavanja:
6.2.2026.
Posjeta: 323 *