Parental anxiety significantly impacts child's anxiety during preoperative period, finds Study

Both children and parents find surgery to be a distressing experience. Parents feel a significant amount of worry and stress about their child's anesthesia, surgery, and potential complications, while children often feel fear, anger, and irritability before the surgery. The research paper discusses the correlation between preoperative parental anxiety and their child's anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery, using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m-YPAS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) form. The study includes a total of 150 children and identifies a strong positive correlation between a child's anxiety and their parent's anxiety on the day of the surgery. However, the correlation between a child's anxiety and their parent's trait anxiety levels was not significant. The study also examines the influence of factors such as area of residence, type of surgery, previous hospitalization, and the gender and birth order of the child on anxiety levels.

Impact of Parental Anxiety

The paper highlights that parental anxiety significantly impacts the child's anxiety during the preoperative period, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing parental anxiety. It draws attention to the potential impact of sociocultural aspects on perioperative anxiety and explains that parental anxiety can impact children's behavior, leading to increased anxiety in children. The study also shows that younger children, urban residents, those undergoing major surgeries, and those with a history of previous hospitalization tend to have higher anxiety levels. Furthermore, the age of the child, the gender of the parent, their educational qualifications, and previous hospitalization influence parental anxiety. The results highlight that younger parents, mothers, parents of firstborn children, and parents of children undergoing major surgeries tend to have higher anxiety levels. The study aligns with previous findings and acknowledges the multifactorial nature of preoperative anxiety in children. The paper suggests the need for interventions, particularly for parents, to reduce preoperative anxiety and improve the overall perioperative and postoperative outcomes for children. It emphasizes the importance of educating and empowering parents to manage their anxiety, as well as the potential impact of non-pharmacological interventions on reducing children's anxiety.

Limitations and Recommendations

While the paper provides valuable insights into the correlation between parental and child anxiety, it acknowledges limitations in its generalizability due to the specific region from which patients were recruited. The research recommends future multicentric trials to capture regional variations and consider the influence of cultural norms, socioeconomic disparities, and healthcare infrastructure on perioperative experiences. Overall, this study contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients and underscores the need for targeted interventions for both parents and children to alleviate anxiety and improve perioperative outcomes.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The paper concludes by acknowledging the significant impact of parental anxiety on the child's anxiety during the perioperative period and advocates for appropriate interventions to empower parents and reduce preoperative anxiety. Lastly, it highlights the researchers' willingness to consider de-identified data requests and suggests potential avenues for further investigation.

Key Points

- The study explores the correlation between preoperative parental anxiety and their child's anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery, using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m-YPAS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) form.

- It identifies a strong positive correlation between a child's anxiety and their parent's anxiety on the day of the surgery, but not between a child's anxiety and their parent's trait anxiety levels.

- Factors such as area of residence, type of surgery, previous hospitalization, and the gender and birth order of the child were examined for their influence on anxiety levels.

- Parental anxiety significantly impacts the child's anxiety during the preoperative period, particularly in younger children, urban residents, those undergoing major surgeries, and those with a history of previous hospitalization. Additionally, the age of the child, the gender of the parent, their educational qualifications, and previous hospitalization influence parental anxiety.

- The paper highlights the need for interventions to reduce preoperative anxiety for parents and children to improve perioperative and postoperative outcomes, emphasizing the importance of non-pharmacological interventions on reducing children's anxiety.

- The study recognizes regional limitations and recommends future multicentric trials to capture regional variations and consider the influence of cultural norms, socioeconomic disparities, and healthcare infrastructure on perioperative experiences. It advocates for targeted interventions to alleviate anxiety and improve perioperative outcomes for pediatric patients. I hope this helps! Let me know if you need anything else.

Reference -

Kumari K, Nemani S, Rathod D, Sharma A, Bhatia PK, Goyal S. Prediction of correlation between preoperative parents’ anxiety and their child’s anxiety before elective surgery under anaesthesia: An observational study. Indian J Anaesth 2024;68:809‑14.