PRE-OPERATIVE ANXIETY AND COPING STRATEGIES IN ADULTS AWAITING ELECTIVE SURGERY – A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN A SURGICAL UNIT OF A TERTIARY CARE CENTER gamagekanil@gmail.com

 

PRE-OPERATIVE ANXIETY AND COPING STRATEGIES IN ADULTS AWAITING ELECTIVE SURGERY – A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN A SURGICAL UNIT OF A TERTIARY CARE CENTER

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Sri Lanka

Oral or Poster

Preoperative anxiety is a common and often distressing experience among patients undergoing surgery. It can influence perioperative outcomes and recovery. Understanding the prevalence of anxiety and the coping strategies employed by patients is essential for developing effective psychological and perioperative support.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 133 adult patients awaiting elective surgical procedures at a tertiary care center. The sample comprised 70 females and 63 males; 73 were scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia (GA) and 60 under spinal anesthesia. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) was used to assess anxiety levels, with a combined score (Sum C) ≥11 indicating significant anxiety. Coping mechanisms were categorized as either problem-focused or emotion-focused.

The mean anxiety score was 8.63. Significant preoperative anxiety was observed in 30% of females and 28.6% of males. Anxiety prevalence among those undergoing general anesthesia was 31.5%, while it was 26.7% among those receiving spinal anesthesia. Married individuals (29.8%) and patients with children (30.6%) reported higher anxiety than their unmarried (26.3%) and childless (24%) counterparts, respectively. Those with comorbid conditions showed a similar prevalence (29.7%) compared to those without (28.9%). Employed individuals had slightly higher anxiety (30.3%) than the unemployed (28.4%). Regarding coping strategies, 45.3% of patients sought online information (problem-focused), while emotion-focused methods included distraction and positive thinking (65.5%), and use of anxiolytics (51.1%).

This study reveals a substantial prevalence of preoperative anxiety among adult surgical patients and illustrates a range of coping strategies employed. The findings emphasize the need for personalized preoperative counseling and support interventions to address anxiety and improve patient experiences and outcomes during the surgical process