Effects of a brief and economical intervention in preparing patients for surgery: does coping style matter?

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a brief and economical procedure in the preparation of surgical patients. More specifically, the study was intended to test whether patient's monitoring style (high vs. low) makes any difference to the benefits of a relaxation technique. Ninety-two patients scheduled for hysterectomy with double oophorectomy were assessed for preferred coping style and randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) relaxation training and (b) attention control. It was hypothesized that low monitors would report less pain, less analgesic use and a higher activity level when trained in relaxation than low monitor controls or than high monitors trained in relaxation. Results showed no differences between individuals with different coping styles. On the other hand, however, statistically significant differences were observed between trained patients and controls. Namely, individuals trained in relaxation experienced less pain along the surgical process, pain interfered less with their daily activities, and performed a higher activity level three weeks after surgery, compared to non trained patients.