Evaluation of the Fear of Hospitalization and Associated Anxiety and Other Factors among Candidates for Emergency Surgery in the Hospitals Affiliated with Zanjan-Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2020

Surgery is a stressful event that can be accompanied by a great deal of fear and anxiety, especially in emergency situations.

This study aimed to determine the level of fear of hospitalization and associated anxiety and factors in the candidates of emergency surgery referring to the hospitals affiliated with Zanjan University of Medical Sciences.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 304 patients admitted to the emergency department and their family members, referring to the hospitals affiliated with Zanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2020. The patients were recruited by convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a questionnaire for demographic information and disease specifications, the hospitalization fear questionnaire (Slobodan M. Jankovic), and the Visual Analogue Scale (10-point) to assess pain and anxiety in the emergency departments. For data analysis, independent t-test, analysis of variance (followed by the LSD post hoc test), Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression were used by SPSS 22.

The results showed that a higher number of the patients (61.4%) experienced anxiety rather than hospitalization fear (23.2%). The pain had a negative correlation with patients’ and their companions’ fear of hospitalization and a positive correlation with their level of anxiety. Also, the anxiety of the patient's companion increased with the prolongation of the waiting time. The companion’s hospitalization fear and anxiety significantly correlated with the patient’s level of anxiety (P<0.05), and the patient’s anxiety was negatively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the level of consciousness. In addition, fear of hospitalization and anxiety positively and significantly correlated with the pulse rate (P<0.05).

According to the results of this study, it is recommended to provide psychological support to the patient and his/her family, try to stabilize the patient’s clinical condition, and shorten the waiting time in the emergency department to be able to manage the patient’s fear of hospitalization and anxiety.