"The relationship between preoperative anxiety levels and posttraumatic stress disorder in women having curettage: A prospective study"

Abstract

Curettage can affect women's mental health. Studying this issue is important for the protection and improvement of women's health. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between anxiety levels and posttraumatic stress disorder in women having curettage. The sample of this prospective study included 115 women who visited the obstetrics and gynecology clinics of a research and training hospital located in eastern Turkey to terminate their pregnancies. The data were collected by using a Participant Information Form, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version. In the study, it was determined that there was a risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 99.1% of the women (n=114) (PTSD≥23). It was identified that the state anxiety levels of the women who had curettage had a statistical significance in explaining posttraumatic stress disorder (p<0.05), and the state anxiety levels explained posttraumatic stress disorder by 15%. According to the findings obtained in this study, it was determined that high anxiety levels before curettage constituted a high risk in terms of posttraumatic stress disorder.