Investigation of Stress-Inducing Factors and Preoperative Anxiety and Their Mitigation Strategies from Patients' Perspectives in Surgical Departments of Educational Medical Centers at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2023

Introduction: In light of the progress made in anesthesia and surgical procedures resulting in fewer complications and greater success rates, preoperative stress and anxiety persist among patients. This study aimed to evaluate stress-inducing factors and preoperative anxiety and explore strategies for their mitigation among surgical patients. Material and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2023 on 375 surgical patients in the operating room departments of educational medical centers affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Simple random sampling was employed and a questionnaire designed by the researchers was used to collect data (with Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.81). The data were analyzed via SPSS 20 software. Results: The study revealed that 60% of the total participants were male, with a mean age of 40 years. Moreover, 72% of the participants were married. The preoperative stress factors had a mean score of 7.29, with the next most significant factors being stress-inducing factors related to the department (19.6%), followed by stress-inducing factors related to the surgical staff (13.2%), and stress-inducing factors from the physical environment of the operating room (11.4%). Conclusion: The final results of this study suggest that by identifying influential factors on preoperative stress and addressing them, it is possible to minimize preoperative anxiety. Therefore, it is recommended to develop educational programs for physicians and personnel to alleviate stress-inducing factors and provide patients with essential information about surgical complications, the surgical process, and anesthesia procedures.

Investigation of Stress-Inducing Factors and Preoperative Anxiety and Their Mitigation Strategies from Patients' Perspectives in Surgical Departments of Educational Medical Centers at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2023 Keywords:

Educational medical centers , Operating room , Preoperative anxiety , Stressors , Surgery