| Description |
This research study was conducted to determine if an identifiable pattern in anxiety levels occurred during hospitalization on a psychiatric unit. It was considered that, if a pattern in anxiety levels could be identified, it would provide information which would facilitate nurses doing better anticipatory planning for general patient care. Based on the results of a previous nursing study and a review of related literature, three hypotheses were developed. The first hypothesis stated that the first peak in anxiety levels would occur soon after admission. The second hypothesis stated that the anxiety levels would lower as patients adapted to the hospital environment and staff. The third hypothesis stated that the anxiety levels would peak at the time of notification of discharge from the hospital. It seemed reasonable to assume that hospitalization because °f several influences, such as social stigma, change of role, removal from a familiar environment to the small community of a psychiatric unit with unfamiliar values and expectations, may represent a threat to an individual's security and thus be anxiety producing. Increases in anxiety levels could be expected to increase at the time of discharge due to anticipation of leaving the supportive milieu of the hospital and returning to the known stressful circumstances in the community. Twenty patients hospitalized on the psychiatric unit of the University of Utah Medical Center were administered the IPAT 8-Parallel Form Anxiety Battery within twenty-four hours of admission, during scheduled intervals throughout hospitalization, and after notification of discharge from the hospital. Each subject also filled out an Informed Consent Form and an Individual Data Sheet. Quantity of time with staff members and medications were recorded on each day the subject was administered a questionnaire. Criteria for participation in this study included that subjects be hospitalized for a minimum of five days and that they be cooperative and psychologically able to answer the questionnaires. The hypotheses were supported by the data. Anxiety levels were found to be higher on admission than at any other time during hospitalization. Anxiety levels during hospitalization showed a downward trend with periodic fluctuations and were lower than anxiety levels on admission and discharge. Discharge anxiety level scores were the second highest during hospitalization. Anxiety level scores among the sample of hospitalized psychiatric patients in this study were found to be neither higher nor lower at a statistically significant level than the norms established for the general population by Cattell (1973). Several correlations were found in this study to be statistically significant. From the results of the data analysis, it was inferred that people with planned hospitalizations tended to be more anxious than people who did not plan their admission into the hospital (r = .4088, p. < .05). A relationship between the number of previous psychiatric hospitalizations and admission anxiety level scores was also found (r = .4909, p. < .05). Being on public assistance was positively related to admission anxiety (r = .4213, p. < .05). On admission, the data showed that nurses tended to spend greater amounts of time with the less anxious patients and/or that the more time the nurse spent with the patient, the less anxious the patients were (r = -.3953, p. < .05). Anxiety level scores were correlated with both quantity of time spent with staff and medications received, but the correlations were not found to be statistically significant. The results of the data analysis did support the assumptions and purpose for which the research study was designed. Nursing interventions were suggested and discussed. Recommendations for further study of the anxiety levels of psychiatric patients were made. Questions concerning the value of using the IPAT 8-Parallel Form Anxiety Battery with psychiatric inpatients were identified and alternative suggestions were offered. |
