A large prospective study offers reassuring news for living kidney donors and transplant teams alike. Researchers tracked 941 living kidney donors across 17 Canadian and Australian transplant centers for up to 5 years and found that the vast majority maintained normal-to-high self-esteem throughout — with only 2%–4% reporting low self-esteem at any given point.

On average, self-esteem scores barely budged after donation. While a small statistical dip was detected, it wasn't considered clinically meaningful. Notably, donors who started with lower self-esteem experienced a modest boost post-donation, and improvements in self-esteem were tied to concurrent reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms.

By the Numbers:

• 941 living kidney donors followed across 12 Canadian and 5 Australian transplant centers

• 95% maintained normal-to-high self-esteem throughout 5 years of follow-up

• Only 2%–4% experienced low self-esteem at any point
• Donors with lower baseline self-esteem saw an ~2-point increase in self-esteem scores post-donation

Why it matters: These findings offer reassurance to both donors and transplant teams — living kidney donation appears to have minimal psychological impact on self-esteem, even for those who may be more vulnerable going in. This supports the broader case for living donation as a safe and psychologically sound option.