HELPING UNRELATED STRANGERS - PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS TOTHE BONE-MARROW DONATION PROCESS AMONG ANONYMOUS DONORS

The development of models that predict outcomes of voluntary action is important for practitioners who manage large groups of volunteers. In accordance with this goal, a path model was generated linking predona tion characteristics of volunteer marrow donors to postdonation physic al and psychological reactions. Questionnaire data were collected from 343 individuals registered to donate marrow to unrelated strangers at 3 time points: shortly predonation, shortly postdonation, and 1-year postdonation. Although donors had generally positive reactions to dona tion, a substantial minority reported ambivalence about donating, phys ical difficulty with donation, and negative psychological reactions po stdonation. In addition, our data suggest that predonation ambivalence is a central predictor of postdonation reactions, even after other do nor characteristics are taken into account. These results have practic al implications for the recruitment of volunteers, and suggest importa nt variables to be considered in evaluating potential bone marrow dono rs.