[A study on perceived family support and anxiety in hemiplegic patients]

The purposes of this study were to identify causal factors of Anxiety and to analyze correlation between perceived family support and anxiety in hemiplegic patients. The subjects of this study were 88 hospitalized hemiplegic patients at Kyung-Hee Oriental medicine Hospital. Data were collected by using interview with questionnaire from Jan. 15 to Mar. 31, 1990. The measurement tools used by this researcher were Kang's family support scale, Spielberger's trait anxiety scale and the other anxiety scale which was developed by this researcher, approved it's reliability and validity. For the purposes of the study, the collected data were analyzed by frequency, t-test, ANOVA and the hypothesis was tested by pearson correlation, partial correlation. The results of the study were as follow. 1) The analysis of causal factor of anxiety higher anxiety these three cases; (1) 1st causal factor was the delayed recovery of paralyzed upper limbs (2.42 +/- 1.27). (2) 2nd causal factor was the dysfunction of physical ability (2.30 +/- 1.29). (3) 3rd causal factor was difficulty for walking (2.30 +/- 0.83) and the anxiety level (2.02 +/- 0.83) of physical factor was the highest level than any other factors. 2) The hypothesis that the more perceived family support level is the less anxiety level of patient was supported (r = -.29, p = .003). 3) The analysis of the general characteristics exerting influences on anxiety level patients; (sex, age, marital status, religious, education level, occupation, economic status, experience of hospitalization, care giver, the period of hospitalization, side of paralysis). In this analysis, any factor has not a statistical significance. (p greater than .05). 4) The analysis of the relationship about effective factors of family support level by the general characteristics of patient (sex, age, marital status, religious, education level, occupation, economic status, experience of hospitalization, care giver, the period of hospitalization, side of paralysis). In this analysis, there was significant difference on perceived family support between married and bereaved patients (t = -2.68, p = .009). As a result of this study, anxiety level of physical factor was higher than any other factors (psychological factor, social factor) and the delayed recovery of paralyzed upper limbs is the largest causal factor of anxiety of physical factor. Meanwhile, the relationship between the degree of family support and the level of anxiety was negatively correlated but the degree of relationship was low. Therefore, one can infer from this study that sufficient information about recovery of physical problems and family support were effective in preventing and reducing anxiety in hemiplegic patient.