INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND ANXIETY BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING GENERAL SURGERY REFERRED TO NAMAZI HOSPITAL IN SHIRAZ IN 2019

Anxiety before surgery is common and it is caused by a variety of reasons. Spirituality is one of the variables that is known to be a factor in anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mental health and anxiety before and after surgery in patients undergoing general surgery.

This research was a descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2019. The research population was patients who were candidates for general surgery who accidentally entered the study with a sample size of 90 people. Data collection tools included a demographic and spiritual health information questionnaire from Poltzin and Ellison and a Spielberger state-anxiety questionnaire. Variance analysis was used to analyze quantitative variables and chi-square analysis was used to analyze qualitative variables. The significance level was considered to be less than or equal to 0.05.

The mean pre-operative anxiety score (42.3 ± 11.8) was different from the mean postoperative anxiety score (35.7 ± 11.1) and was statistically significant (p <0.05). A statistically significant difference (p <0.05) existed between the pre-operative anxiety trait (42.3 ± 12.1) and postoperative anxiety trait (37.1± 10.1). The mean score of anxiety (trait and state) before surgery varied at different levels of mental health (p <0.05).

This study found a significant statistical relationship between people's mental health and their level of anxiety before surgery. Therefore, the implementation of spiritual-oriented care programs can be a good way to reduce patients' anxiety before and after surgery.