Your mental wellbeing is really important to consider throughout the donation process. For some donors – particularly those donating for personal reasons or who have had previous stressful life experiences - the process might bring up difficult emotions or memories. If you think you might find it challenging at any point, please inform your coordinator so we can support you. A psychologist is also available if you’d like to speak to someone.

Many of our donors have pre-existing or experience mental health issues such as anxiety, or low mood, or may experience neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD. These do not necessarily preclude you from donating but it is important that your coordinator is aware of them so they can both support you and put additional help in place if necessary for you. We may ask you about any recent medication or health changes. This is to ensure that your mental health is stable before proceeding.

While we do everything we can to plan ahead, changes or cancellations can sometimes occur at short notice due to the recipient’s condition. Sometimes changes in the process could be donor related, such as repeat or additional testing following your medical. This can be something like a repeat urine sample or some more blood tests.  This unpredictability can be particularly difficult for those with mental health concerns. We encourage you to think about how you might respond to unexpected changes and to discuss any concerns with your coordinator.