Emotional reactivity and surgical anxiety. The protective nature of perceived social support

The study examined whether emotional reactivity is associated with surgical anxiety among patients scheduled for elective surgery, and whether any of the dimensions of perceived social support moderates this relationship. Participants consisted of 210 adult patients (females = 117, 55.7%) admitted for surgery at University of Nigerian Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozala, Enugu State, Nigeria. Applying cross-sectional design, participants completed the Anxiety Specific to Surgery Questionnaire, Emotion Reactivity Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support approximately 24 h before their respective surgery. Results showed that emotional reactivity was positively associated with surgical anxiety at low and moderate but not at high levels of perceived family social support. Emotional reactivity was positively associated with surgical anxiety only at low level of friends and significant others support but not at moderate or high levels of perceived support from friends or significant others. We concluded that anxiety reduction intervention programmes for surgical patients should consider integrating social support for its protective nature in improving surgical outcome.