Anxiety Levels of the Patients and Their Relatives During Their Visit of Health Institutions in COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVEIn our study, it was aimed to compare the anxiety; state and trait anxiety states among the communities who went to health institutions for different purposes during the COVID-19 epidemic and to evaluate the factors affecting anxiety, state and trait anxiety. METHODSThe data of this study were collected face to face using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) for cancer patients who applied to the Oncol-ogy center between October 2020 and December 2020. Their companions and the patients who went to a primary healthcare institution. Participants' awareness of the COVID pandemic and the effects of the pandemic on their lives and demographic information were also recorded. A total of 252 participants responded to the tests.RESULTSIn our study, 252 people, including 130 (51.6%) cancer patients, 49 (19.4%) cancer patient companions, and 73 outpatients who applied to a primary healthcare institution, participated in our study. In all participants, the mean anxiety level according to BAI was 10.75 +/- 12.5 (0-48), the mean state anxiety according to STAI-S was 44.42 +/- 10.59 (20-74), according to STAI-T, the mean trait anxiety was found to be 45.65 +/- 8.80 (20-78) points. Among the three groups, the highest anxiety, state and trait anxiety was seen in patients who applied to primary healthcare institution.CONCLUSIONIn our study, many factors affecting the anxiety and anxiety levels of the patients and their relatives who applied to health institutions for different reasons, also under the influence of the pandemic, were determined. With such studies, the psychosocial conditions of the patients and their relatives should be closely followed in the event of the future epidemics, and psychological treatments and support needs should be kept in mind in addition to the primary treatment of their diseases.