The effect of discharge training given to the lumbar disk herniation surgery patients on the anxiety-depression status and experienced problems

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of discharge training given to the lumbar disk herniation (LDH) surgery patients on the anxiety-depression status and experienced problems. Method: The study was conducted between July 2015 and November 2016 in a neurosurgery clinic of the university hospital using a quasi-experimental model with intervention and control group. A total of 94 patients (48 controls, 46 interventions) constituted the sample. Ethics committee approval, scale and institutional permission and written consent from the patients were obtained. The data were gathered via personal information form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) by interviewing face-to-face. The patients in the control were received clinical routines, the intervention group patients were given discharge training with the booklet which evaluated for its suitability, quality and reliability for training purposes.The data were assessed with number, percent, mean, standard deviation, Kendall's coefficient of concordance, Cochran's Q test, variance analysis (ANOVA), t test, correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U and chi-square tests using the SPSS 23 program and p<0.05 was accepted as significant. Results: The study shows that, the patients in the intervention and control group were found to be similar in their descriptive characteristics. The mean scores of anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) at hospitalization, discharge and first follow up in the trained intervention group were found to be lower than that of the control group and the differences were also statistically significant. The decrease in anxiety depression scores at hospitalization, discharge and follow was detected to be insignificant. The patients in the intervention group were found to experience fewer problems at discharge and follow compared to the control group and they were all determined to be satisfied with the training provided. Conclusion: Trained intervention group patients experienced fewer problems, anxiety and depression at discharge and follow. It may be recommended to routinize the planned discharge training that starts at hospital admission and to use the developed training booklet. Key words: Lumbar disk herniation, anxiety-depression, experienced problems, discharge training