ISSN 2167-0404
International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN 2167-0404 Vol. 9 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
A psychoanalytic intervention of patients undergoing surgery in order to overcome their anxiety
Gustavo S.M, Cardoso H.L and Miguel N.C
Department of surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Accepted 09 June, 2018
Abstract
The aim of this study is to propose patients a psycho educational intervention before, during and after a stay in a hospital to undergo a cataract surgery, in order to meet their doubts and fears. The objective is to find if by lowering the anxiety state, the suffering would be reduced and the quality in the rehabilitation process would be fostered (Hesbeen, 1996). The design chosen was a RCT (Randomised Control Trial). A group of 160 individuals was assigned randomly to one of the 2 conditions: 80 to the experimental/intervention condition following a specific care program aiming at lowering anxiety, and 80 to an “attention/routine care” condition. The sample consisted of individuals who had a mean age of 72, SD 10.33, ranging from 24 to 95 years old, and 63.1% were females. Anxiety state decreased significantly after surgery in both intervention and attention groups but more intensively in the intervention group. A regression model explained 80% of the anxiety state score after surgery. The most significant predictor of anxiety state score after surgery was “belonging to the intervention/experimental group” (B = 0.712). These results confirm the claims that a simple, costless and almost timeless psycho educational procedure can decrease anxiety and improve patients’ experience of cataract surgery and recovery.
Key words: Psycho educational interventions, hospital, cataract surgery, peri- and post-surgery anxiety.