The relationship between fear of surgery and affecting factors in surgical patients

Abstract

Background This study aimed to explain the fear of surgery in surgical patients, the affecting factors, and their relationship. Methods This study was conducted as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study population consists of 300 patients undergoing surgical intervention. Data were collected using the “patient information form” and “Surgical Fear Questionnaire.” Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to evaluate the data. The relationship between the fear questionnaire and age, number of previous surgeries, and pre-operative pain was evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis. The relationship with emotional stress was evaluated with multiple linear regression analysis. Results In this study, it was determined that the predictors of the surgical fear level of the patients were age, gender, anesthesia type, and pre-operative pain experience. There was a negative correlation between the age of the patients and the fear of surgery score and a positive correlation between the pre-operative pain severity and the fear of surgery score. It was determined that the factors most associated with pre-operative fear levels were the patients’ pre-operative sense of inadequacy (p < 0.001), feeling anxious and unhappy, and confusion about the surgery decision (p < 0.05). Conclusion According to the results of this study, it has been determined that the emotional states and fears of the patients before the surgery have significant effects on the fear of surgery. For this, it is recommended to determine the emotional states and fears of the patients before the surgery and to make appropriate interventions, as it will facilitate compliance with the surgical process.

Does surgery cause anxiety, stress and fear in geriatric patients?

“…12 By contrast, other research findings in the literature report that geriatric patients have a lower fear of surgery. 9,25 Research has reported that age and surgery-specific anxiety are positively related, 26,27 but in others studies, age and anxiety level are found to be negatively related. 28,29 Furthermore, Rosiek et al found no relationship between the level of surgery-specific anxiety and age.…”

“…There are studies in the literature in which the mean fear and anxiety scores of female patients are higher than those of males. 9,25,30,[32][33][34] Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorders in societies. According to the data of the American National Comorbidity Study, the lifetime prevalence rates are 30.5% in women and 19.2% in men, 35 so it may be speculated that mutually triggering biological and psychosocial factors cause an increase in anxiety and fear levels in females.…”

Measures of preoperative anxiety: Part two

“…A preliminary study conducted among 65 patients awaiting cardiac surgery provided promising results regarding the reliability of the scale (Cronbach's a coefficient for the full scale was 0.93, for short-term aspects of surgery was 0.91, and for long-term surgery aspects was 0.90). The SFQ questionnaire has been used in studies conducted in the Netherlands [28,29], Greece [34], Portugal [35,36], Turkey [21,23,33,[37][38][39][40][41][42][43], Croatia [44], Norway [45], Germany [31], Italy [46], Czech Republic [30], China [32], United States [47,48], Ireland [49], and Hungary [50][51][52]. Most of these publications appeared in the years 2022-2023.…”

Emotional Stress and Immune Response in Surgery: A Psychoneuroimmunological Perspective

“…Studies have shown that 60-80% of individuals experience preoperative anxiety, significantly affecting postoperative aspects such as wound healing, pain control, anesthesia efficacy, and analgesia needs. Additionally, a patient’s emotional state before surgery can influence their physical and psychological recovery afterward [ 6 ]. New findings emphasize the significant influence of psychological factors on surgical outcomes, spanning both immediate and lasting effects [ 7 ].…”

“…Thus, it is essential to pinpoint the factors contributing to fear and anxiety and uncover their relationships. This understanding is vital for crafting personalized interventions to improve surgical experience and postoperative healing [ 6 ].…”