Psychological Intervention for Pre-Procedural Anxiety in Musculoskeletal Pain Interventions
Ke Xu, Qingfeng YouAbstract
Objective
This study centers on pre-procedural anxiety as the primary research subject, evaluating the effectiveness of a brief psychological intervention in alleviating anxiety and improving mental health among patients undergoing ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal pain interventions..
Subjects and Methods
A total of 150 patients scheduled for elective ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal interventions were enrolled. Pre-procedural anxiety was assessed using the STAI-S. Patients with STAI-S ≥ 50 (n=68) received a brief psychological intervention (preoperative education and relaxation guidance), while those with STAI-S < 50 (n=82) received routine care. Post-intervention STAI-S scores served as the primary outcome measure; analgesic efficacy (NRS reduction) and 3-month treatment compliance were recorded as secondary observations.
Results
Following the psychological intervention, the high-anxiety group showed a significant reduction in STAI-S scores from 56.3 ± 8.2 to 42.1 ± 7.5 (p < 0.01), with the majority of patients shifting from high to moderate/low anxiety levels. The low-anxiety group maintained stable scores (36.5 ± 6.1 vs. 35.8 ± 5.9, p > 0.05). As secondary outcomes, the high-anxiety group also demonstrated weaker pain reduction (2.1 vs. 3.8, p < 0.01) and lower treatment adherence (58% vs. 90%, p < 0.01) compared to the low-anxiety group, consistent with the adverse effects of elevated anxiety on clinical outcomes.
Conclusions
A brief psychological intervention can effectively alleviate pre-procedural anxiety and improve patients' mental health status in musculoskeletal interventional settings. Routine anxiety screening and targeted psychological support should be integrated into clinical practice as essential components of patient mental health management.
Corresponding Author
Ke Xu, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of China Three Gorges University, Yichang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yichang 443000, Hubei, China.