The effect of poetry therapy on the level of anxiety in patients with myocardial infarction

Abstract

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is the main cause of disability in developed countries. Anxiety is the most common psychological response to MI. Aims and Objectives: Due to the importance of the issue, this study aimed to investigate the effect of poetry therapy on the level of anxiety in patients with MI in 2016 in Bushehr city. Materials and Methods: In this study which is the randomized clinical trial, 60 patients with MI were selected from Bushehr heart specialist hospital by convenient sampling method in 2015. Then, the selected samples were assigned into test and control groups randomly. The data were collected by anxiety assessment inventory. Poem reading was performed for each person in test group during 4 sessions of 45 min every week. In control group, no intervention was performed. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 18, and descriptive statistical tests (mean, standard deviation [SD], frequency, and confidence interval of 95%) and inferential statistical tests (Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and independent t-test) were used. Results: Before the intervention, the mean and SD of anxiety score in test and control groups was 19.83 ± 2.39 and 19.93 ± 3.07, respectively. The mean and SD of anxiety score after intervention in test and control groups was 7.60 ± 5.55 and 17.03 ± 3.18, respectively. After the intervention, a significant statistical difference was observed between anxiety level in patients of test and control groups (P = 0.001). The mean anxiety level before and after the intervention had a significant statistical difference in test and control groups (P = 0.001). After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the severity of anxiety between test and control groups (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Poetry therapy has an effect on the anxiety level in patients with MI. Considering the low cost and simplicity of poetry therapy method, it is recommended to use it as an uncomplicated, simple therapeutic method to control the anxiety caused by MI.