Frequency of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Surgical Hospitalized Patients

Background Patients hospitalized for surgeries and those with chronic remitting health conditions develop hospital-induced anxiety and depression. Unfamiliar hospital environment, insufficient privacy, exposure to strange instruments, financial concerns, disease stress, and prolonged hospital stay contribute to this anxiety. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of depression and anxiety in surgical patients. Material and methods This observational study was conducted among 50 patients hospitalized for 10 days or more in the surgical unit. All patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). It has seven items for anxiety and depression each. Each item scores 0-3. A subscale score >8 denotes anxiety or depression. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS v.20. Mean and standard deviation (SD) were calculated for descriptive data, and frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical data. Results On the HADS, the mean +/- SD score of anxiety was 11.84 +/- 4.16 and that of depression was 12.78 +/- 4.16. There were 64% severely anxious and 74% severely depressed hospitalized patients. More patients with less than two weeks of hospital stay were severely depressed than severely anxious (72.7% vs. 36.3%). There were 20% patients with moderate anxiety and depression with hospital stay longer than three weeks and 80% with severe anxiety and depression. Conclusion There is a high incidence of anxiety and depression in surgical patients. Patients at risk of developing these symptoms must be identified and psychological care should be provided to them.