A comparison of the anxiety-reducing potential of two techniques of bathing

This study compared the effects of the towel bath and the conventional bed bath on patient anxiety. The sample of 105 patients were divided into two groups--those who would be having invasive procedures and those with unrelieved pain. Anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Palmar Sweat Index (PSI), and the Behavioral Cues Index (BCI). The scores from the STAI A-State subscale supported the hypothesis that the towel bath resulted in a significant decrease in anxiety for the sample as a whole and for the invasive procedure subsample. The hypothesis was rejected for the unrelieved pain subsample. Scores from the Palmar Sweat Index and the Behavioral Cues Index did not support any of the hypotheses. Based on the findings of this study, bathing is recommended for its anxiety-reducing effects.