Perceived stress and anxiety levels of patients undergoing coronary angiography

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the perceived stress and anxiety levels of patients undergoing coronary angiography and examine the impact of the procedure area on these psychological factors.MethodsA total of 144 patients were included, and data were collected using the Personal Information Form, State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23, along with independent sample <i>t</i>-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Levene's test, post-hoc tests, Pearson correlation, and Cronbach's alpha for reliability.ResultsThe mean patient age was 54.31 ± 12.50 years; 63.2% of them were male. Overall, 58.3% of the patients underwent coronary angiography for diagnostic purposes, and 61.8% were aware of the procedure area. State anxiety, trait anxiety, and perceived stress scores were 46.78 ± 11.81, 41.35 ± 9.98, and 16.74 ± 5.32, respectively. Higher anxiety was observed among patients unaware of their diagnosis and those undergoing repeat coronary angiography. Patients who were undergoing femoral angiography had higher perceived stress than those undergoing angiography through the radial route.ConclusionUncertainty about diagnosis and the procedure increases stress and anxiety. Providing preprocedural education during coronary angiography and exploring alternative anxiety management strategies, such as mindfulness, could enhance patient experience and recovery.