State and trait anxiety levels among mothers of inpatient children and related factors

Objective: This study was performed with the goal of determining the state and trait anxiety levels among the mothers of inpatient children, and associated socio-demographic and medical factors. Method: This descriptive study was performed in the Children’s Hospital of Erciyes University in 2016. The mothers of children who stayed in various clinics of the hospital were included in the study. The mothers were visited in the hospital by the researchers and a sociodemographic questionnaire, along with the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), were applied. A total of 158 mothers were included in the study. Statistical significance levels were accepted as p<0.05. Results: Mean state and trait anxiety scores were calculated as 49.0±8.6 and 49.6±9.5 respectively. The mean trait anxiety score was found higher among the mothers of children whose illnesses lasted longer than 30 days, and among mothers who characterized their own health conditions as poor. The mean state anxiety score was found lower among the mothers who stated that they were given information about the illness of their children (p<0.05). The children’s age, gender, number of stays in the hospital and the duration of the hospitalisations were not found to have a significant effect on the state and trait anxiety levels of the mothers. Similarly, the mothers’ age, education level, employment status, number of children and socioeconomic level were not shown to have a significant effect on the mothers’ anxiety status (p>0.05). Conclusions: The state and trait anxiety scores of the mothers of inpatient children are quite high. The trait anxiety level of the mother increases as the child's illness lengthens. On the other hand, informing the mother about the child's illness reduces state anxiety levels, but does not affect the level of trait anxiety. The mothers of inpatient children should be effectively informed about the disease of their children, especially in cases where the duration of illnesses are long, in order to decrease their anxiety, and professional support should be provided when necessary.Key Words: Child, inpatient, mother, state anxiety, trait anxiet