Fear as a state and trait in patients with brain injury after surgical treatment.

Abstract

Fear is emotion what appears in patients (pts) where is a need of surgical treatment. The essences of fear connect with death, disability, long term rehabilitation and finally, lower income and social problems. The aim of the study was to estimate the fear and it's intensivity as a state and as a trait. 40 pts with brain injury – postatraumatic who were treated with surgical methods participated in the study. The mean of age was 45 yrs. The STAI and questionnaire of own concept were used in the examination. The factors of disease, gradient of impairment /mild or moderate/ level of education, family status were controlled in the study. The collected data underwent statistical analysis with SPSS program. The significant data estimated on p. 0,05. The reference grup constituded by pts who underwent surgical teratment but not with brain postraumatic impairment.

The data show the higher level of a fear as a state and a trait was higher in the group with brain impairment. There was significant correlation between family satus and fear as a state. In pts with whole family the level of fear was higher than in patients who lived alone.

The data show there is a need of conducting psychological intervention toward all pts with brain injury independently to family status as well.