Anxiety and Stress in Children Aged 7-12 Years Undergoing Different Surgical Procedures: A Descriptive Study

OpenAlex İngilizce

Objective: This study aims to investigate anxiety and stress levels in children aged 7-12 years who underwent different surgical interventions. Material and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in a city hospital with 118 children aged 7-12 years who underwent different surgical interventions. Child Descriptive Information Form, Perioperative Multidimensional Anxiety Scale in Children, and Perceived Stress Scale for Children Aged 7-11 Years were used to collect the data. The data were collected by the researcher through face-toface interviews with the children. Results: The children's mean score on the ''Children's perioperative multidimensional anxiety scale'' was 30.50±15.40, and the mean score on the ''Perceived Stress Scale for Children Aged 7-11 Years'' was 26.20±5.05. When the mean scores of the sub-dimension of the Perceived Stress Scale for Children Aged 7- 11 Years were analyzed, the mean score of the perceived helplessness sub-dimension was 16.46±3.68 and the mean score of the perceived self-efficacy sub-dimension was 9.73±2.78. According to the correlation analysis, a moderately significant positive relationship between anxiety and stress (r=-0.409, p=0.000) was found. Conclusion: It was found that children experienced stress above the average, but their anxiety levels were low. It was also concluded that parents' level of education was effective in children's perceived self-efficacy. However, it should be taken into consideration that education level is not a factor alone. Therefore, to understand the psychological and emotional development of children from a broader perspective, the effects of other factors within the family should also be taken into consideration.