Abstract
Anxiety is recognized as a potential risk factor for false-positive result derived from radiological image. This study investigated patients’ anxiety levels on exposure to computer tomography and experience of claustrophobia. The study adopts a correlation research design. A total of 96 patients made-up of 49 males (50%) and 47 females (48%) subjects undergoing CT scan examination at the Radiology Department of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi was recruited for this study. Participants responded to STAI (Form-1) a Nigerian re-standardized version and Radomsky’s Claustrophobia questionnaire. The results of the analysis shows that; there is a strong positive correlation between patients’ levels of anxiety and exposure to computer tomography examination including normal anxiety of r (96) = .812, p< .0.01), mild anxiety level r (96) = .823, p< .0.01), moderate anxiety level r (96)= .746, p< .0.01), severe anxiety r(96) = .669, p< .0.01), and extremely severe anxiety level, r (96) = .220, p<. 0.01). However, there is a negative correlation between patients’ exposure to computer tomography examination and experience of claustrophobia, r (96) = -.18, p< .0.01). There is also a significant difference between male and female levels of anxiety and experience of claustrophobia during exposure to CT scan examination, with males score (M=20.4082, SD=2.39721, N=96) and females score (M=21.1489, SD= 3.03586), t (94) = -1.330, p< .05) for anxiety, males score (M=43.0213, SD=12.04609), and females score (M=42.2979, SD=11.89248) on exposure to CT scan t (94) = .293, p< .05) claustrophobia symptoms, males score (M=15.7083, SD=14.02878) females score (M=13.9149, SD=10.75989), t (94) = .698, p< .05). The study proved that anxiety and claustrophobia is commonly experienced by patients undergoing CT scan examination. Hence, pre-counselling/education should always be used to prepare as well as mitigate anxiety related reactions in patients prior to CT scan in order to achieve a successful outcome of the procedure.
Highlights
Anxiety is a complex emotional reaction that is disproportionate to a situation that an individual perceived as dangerous under uncertain circumstances (American Psychology Association, 2019)
Anxiety can result in a somatic disorder with hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system which may affect the patient’s physical examination, causing problems in the evaluation of radiological images making to non-cooperative patient (Lo Re et al, 2010)
Computer Tomography Scan (CT scan) examination procedure requires envelopment of a person in a confined space. This often trigger in some people anxiety and claustrophobia which are known to be potential risk factors for false-positive result of radiological image
Summary
Anxiety is a complex emotional reaction that is disproportionate to a situation that an individual perceived as dangerous under uncertain circumstances (American Psychology Association, 2019). Individuals obsessed with phobic emotional feelings and reaction are inclined to evade exposure to the feared situation or object. Claustrophobia is a form of anxiety disorder that causes intense fear of enclosed spaces. Some people have claustrophobia symptoms when they are in all types of closed-up areas. Diagnostic procedures that involve an individual confinement can produce anxiety and the patients that are to be placed in a narrow tube exhibits claustrophobic symptom (Raman, 2015). Some people with claustrophobia experience mild anxiety when they are in a confined space, whereas others have severe anxiety or panic attack (Fritscher, & Gans, 2020)
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