Anxiety Among Primary Caregivers of Patients Admitted in the Emergency department

Family is affected as a whole when illness or disability strikes. The extent of family disruption depends on the seriousness of the illness, the family’s level of functioning before the illness, socioeconomic considerations, and the extent to which other family members can absorb the role of the person who is ill. Families of critically ill-patients have been reported to have high prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress (Beesley et al., 2017, Hudson et al., 2013, Wartella et al., 2009). It has been revealed that mental health care of family members of the patients in the intensive care unit is one of the major concerns for nurses to providing holistic nursing care in developed countries (Mcadam & Puntillo, 2009). Methods: A Non-Experimental- descriptive cross-sectional design among 30 primary caregivers of patients admitted in the emergency department by using non-probability quota sampling method. Hamilton anxiety scale was used to assess the level of anxiety. Results: Majority of the primary caregivers belong to the age group 21-40years (50%), 60% of the primary caregivers were males, Majority of the care-givers (46.7%) were children of the patients in terms of relationship, 93.3% of them are non-medical by profession, 73.3% of the conditions getting admitted at emergency department (ED) are non –trauma, Majority of the primary caregivers had previous ED experiences. There was a significant association between occupation (0.038) and previous ED experience (.045) with level of anxiety. Discussion: The findings indicate that primary caregivers experience varying levels of anxiety, with significant associations identified between certain sociodemographic and clinical variables. These results underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing caregiver in emergency department settings. Conclusion: It is essential for nurses to be aware of the varying levels among primary caregivers in the emergency department. Developing and enhancing communication and counselling skills can effectively address and alleviate caregiver anxiety. Keywords: Anxiety, Primary Caregivers, Emergency department