Effectiveness of psychological intervention package on anxiety and wellness level among patients with anxiety disorders

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders in all age groups and they are associated with short-term and long-term impairment in social, academic, familial, and psychological functioning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of psychological interventions to decrease anxiety thereby improving the wellness level of patients with anxiety disorder. METHODS: A quasi-experimental research design (a nonequivalent control group design) for evaluating the effectiveness of the psychological intervention on anxiety and wellness level among neurotic patients (n = 100). Psychological interventions consisted of psychoeducation and simple relaxation exercises was administered. RESULTS: The study findings revealed that in pre-test, there is no significant difference between experimental and control groups, but in post-test significant difference is observed between experimental group and control group as depicted by the t values at first post-test was t = 2.04 at P = 0.04, df = 98, at third month post-test t = 6.32 at P = 0.001, df = 98 and at sixth month post-test t = 11.03 at P = 0.001, df = 98. The experimental group patients are having 20.3% anxiety reduction and 23.0% improved wellness score, whereas in control group anxiety reduction is only 1.4% and only 2.4% improved wellness score which shows the effectiveness of psychological intervention. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated the importance of improving patient’s awareness of anxiety and how to manage and access help. Nurses can play a vital role in screening and managing anxiety, and educating people in strategies to prevent episodes of panic. This nurse-led intervention, increased perceived self-efficacy in patients with anxiety disorders, compared with control patients.