Effects of information about a threatening procedure on patients' expectations and emotional distress

A quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of information about an impending threatening event (barium enema) on subjects' expectations and the intensity of their emotional response to the event. Twenty subjects were assigned to one of two information conditions: sensation of procedure. Prior to receiving any information, all subjects completed a preinformation sensation inventory and the trait portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). A taped message of either sensation or procedural information was heard, followed by completion of the post-information sensation inventory. After the barium enema, all subjects completed the post-procedure sensation inventory and the state portion of the STAI. In neither the expected sensations (expectations) reported prior to hearing information or the responses provided after the procedure (actual experiences) were there significant differences between the two groups. However, after hearing the information, significant differences in reported expected sensations were found. Subjects receiving sensation information reported significantly less anxiety and expectations more congruent with their actual experiences than did subjects receiving procedural information.