Effectiveness of Behavioural Intervention on Anxiety and Tolerance among Gastroscopy Patients

Gastroscopy is a widely used procedure in medicine today. It is the treatment of choice among patients with dyspepsia or reflex symptoms and is mandatory for precise diagnosis in upper gastrointestinal disorders. Globally, 750 gastroscopies per 100, 000 populations are subjected per year. Aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of behavioural intervention on anxiety and tolerance among patients subjected to gastroscopy. The research design adopted for this study was experimental pretest and posttest control group design. The tool used for this study was Spielbergs anxiety inventory scale STAI Y1 and behavioural distress form. Behavioural intervention was given to the patients in the study group with laptop assisted teaching, deep breathing exercise demonstration and pamphlet education. The study result showed that the mean value of anxiety in the study group decreased from 46.57 to 32.20 (p 0.000 level) and in the control group and there was no significant change in the mean score of anxiety. Also there was a significant difference in the posttest mean score of tolerance between the study and control group at p 0.000 level. So, behavioural intervention was found to be more effective in reducing the level of anxiety and improving the tolerance level among the patients subjected to gastroscopy.