Anxiety, depression and stress in the preoperative surgical patient

Abstract

Theoretical framework: Anxiety, depression and stress are common in patients during hospitalisation, thus their assessment is still important in different health care settings. Objectives: To identify the levels of anxiety, depression and stress in preoperative surgical patients and analyse their correlation with some socio-demographic and clinical variables. Methodology: A descriptive correlational study was conducted in a sample of 100 patients, the day prior to surgery, using a questionnaire for socio-demographic characterisation and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Results: The sample consisted mostly of married women, with a mean age of 48.41 years. Participants showed low levels of preoperative anxiety, depression and stress. There were significant differences in the three emotional states according to clinical diagnosis, in depression levels according to academic qualifications and length of hospital stay, and in stress levels according to the type of surgery. Conclusion: Results showed that nurses need to be more proactive in assessing and intervening in the emotional states.