Easy-to-use tool helps screen for anxiety, depression in children having surgery: Study

In the study, researchers tested the feasibility of administering KCAT-a computerized adaptive mental health assessment tool — on pediatric surgical patients in the preoperative holding area and examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression in this group. According to the authors, KCAT allows for quick and accurate assessment of anxiety and depression without the need for a trained clinician interviewer. It is administered on a tablet device and allows for real-time assessment in the perioperative setting.

Sixty-five children scheduled for elective surgery at a large children’s hospital were enrolled. The median age was 13 years old (range 7-18 years). All of the children completed the assessment (taking an average of two minutes and 13 seconds), with 15 receiving parental assistance. The researchers found 57% of patients screened positive for anxiety and 34% of patients screened positive for depression.

“This is the first study to examine the use of this tool on children in this setting,” said Sarah Nizamuddin, M.D., co-author of the study and associate professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago Medicine. “The ability to rapidly assess for and capture anxiety and depression levels can allow providers to offer a variety of anxiety-reducing options prior to and after surgery to the patients who would benefit the most. Further studies should aim to determine how to use the information to better cater to the needs of pediatric patients to improve their experience during surgery.”

Reference:

Easy-to-use tool helps screen for anxiety, depression in children having surgery, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Meeting: Anesthesiology 2024