Effects of a peer- led group education on fear, anxiety and depression levels of patients undergoing coronary angiography

Abstract

Objective. To investigate the effect of the peer group education on the fear, anxiety and depression levels of the patients undergoing angiography. Methods. In this clinical trial, 70 patients referred to Vali-E-Asr clinic of Fasa (Iran) for undergoing coronary angiography were selected by random sampling and divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group (n=35) received the necessary instructions about coronary angiography by those in a trained peer group (Two former patients, having experienced in the procedure), while in the control group (n=35) the routine instructions were presented by the department's nurses. The levels of fear, anxiety and depression of the patients were measured both before and after conducting this intervention. Results. The mean score of the patients' fear and anxiety after the intervention of the peers in the experimental group was reduced compared to that of the control group (p < 0.05). But for the mean of the score of the depression test, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups after the intervention. Conclusion. The results of this study showed that utilizing the peer group education is effective for reducing the fear and anxiety of patients undergoing coronary angiography.