Many specific psychological outcomes seem to be best predicted by preoperative assessment of functions in that specific area, especially in the case of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, personality factors including denial, optimism, control, and the need for support appear to be predictors of psychological outcome. Appropriate identification of predictive factors might improve the development of individually tailored interventions for patients at risk of postoperative psychological problems.

No abstract

Contrary to our hypothesis, the results suggest that patients who do not expect to experience any postoperative pain will be less disappointed after surgery than patients who expect to be in pain. Implications for the theory of mental preparation and for preoperative intervention strategies aimed at diminishing the stress of surgery are discussed.