An Analysis of the Anxiety Levels of Mothers Who Participate in Education and Therapeutic Games About Their Children's Surgeries.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of education and therapeutic games on the postoperative anxiety level of mothers who participated in education and therapeutic games with their children.

DESIGN: This study used a quasi-experimental method.

METHODS: The study sample consisted of 300 mothers. Data were collected using a questionnaire on the sociodemographic characteristics of the parents and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for others. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon tests. The mothers in the control group were given a routine explanation of the study. The mothers in the education group were given educational booklets and shown a video presentation. The other group participated in therapeutic games with various game materials and some medical tools along with their children after the education.

FINDINGS: The difference between the preoperative and postoperative STAI score averages of the mothers who were educated and participated in the games with their children was significantly lower than the difference between STAI score averages of the mothers in the control group (P < .05). The STAI score averages were found to be lower in the education group than in the education and game group (P > .05). Although the trait anxiety score averages were reduced more in the education and game group than in the education group, the difference was not statistically significant (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety levels of the mothers in the education and education + game group were found to be lower than those of the mothers in the control group.