• Ann-Christin von Vogelsang, Christina Forsberg, Mikael Svensson, and Yvonne Wengström.
• Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neurosurgery, Karolinska University hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ann-christin.von-vogelsang@ki.se.
• World Neurosurg. 2015 Jun 1;83(6):1090-7.

ObjectiveTo explore anxiety levels during the first 2 years after rupture of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.MethodsA consecutive sample of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) (n = 88, 84.6% of eligible) from a Swedish neurosurgical clinic were followed-up with a prospective cohort design at 3 time points; 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the onset. Data were collected by postal questionnaires and telephone interviews: State trait anxiety inventory, Hospital anxiety and depression scales, Barthel index, Telephone interview for cognitive status, and a set of study-specific questions.ResultsMost of the respondents scored above the State trait anxiety inventory Swedish norm value on anxiety levels at all 3 follow-up time points. About 59% (n = 52) of respondents scored above the cutoff value for clinical significant level of anxiety in at least 1 time point during the first 2 years after rupture of aSAH. There were no significant differences in levels of anxiety versus the observational period and the 3 follow-up time points. The most significant explanatory variable to high levels of anxiety at all 3 follow-up time points was low perceived recovery.ConclusionsLevels of anxiety remained high and stable throughout the first 2 years after rupture of aSAH. High levels of anxiety may reduce health-related quality of life substantially. Identification of individuals with high levels of anxiety and supportive care could therefore potentially improve long-term outcome.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

41 keywords...

hide…