Interventions for Parental Anxiety in Preparation for Pediatric Surgery: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Child Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Preoperative anxiety in children and parents significantly affects pediatric surgical outcomes and healthcare resources.
• Parental preoperative anxiety is linked to increased anxiety and emotional distress in pediatric patients.
• Addressing parental anxiety is crucial for mitigating negative effects on children undergoing surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review various strategies aimed at reducing parental anxiety in the preoperative setting.
• To provide an overview of interventions that can alleviate parental preoperative stress.
• To support healthcare systems in optimizing perioperative care for pediatric patients and their families.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of interventions for parental preoperative anxiety.
• Synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of different anxiety-reducing strategies.
• Overview of approaches including education, play, music therapy, and parental presence.

Main Results:

• Preoperative education programs show evidence of reducing parental anxiety.
• Play-based interventions and music therapy are effective in alleviating preoperative parental stress.
• Parental presence during anesthesia induction and integrative preparation programs demonstrate positive effects.

Conclusions:

• Multiple strategies exist to effectively reduce parental preoperative anxiety.
• Interventions for parental anxiety can improve pediatric patient outcomes and family support.
• Optimizing perioperative care through parental anxiety management benefits children and healthcare systems.