Discharge Education Intervention to Reduce Anxiety and Depression in Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine possible effects of a discharge education intervention on anxiety and depression among cardiac surgery patients in a private hospital in the city of Ordu, Turkey.

Design: A randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Thirty-three patients were placed in standard care group and 33 into standard care plus discharge education group. Patients in the discharge education group were provided an individual training from the first day of the hospital admission until the day of the discharge. The standard care group received usual discharge instructions.

Findings: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-anxiety subscale scores were not significantly different between patients in the discharge and standard care groups (group: F = 1.58; P > .05). There was a significant difference for depression, indicating that the discharge education group had significantly lower depression than the standard care group (group: F = 19.23; P < .01).

Conclusions: Our findings supported that the discharge education intervention reduced depression in cardiac surgery patients.

Keywords: anxiety; cardiac surgery; depression; discharge education.