Religious Commitment, Emotion Regulation and Social Support as Predictors of Preoperative Anxiety among Surgical Inpatients.

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the relationship between religious commitment, emotion regulation, social support and pre-operative anxiety among surgical inpatients. Two hundred and ten inpatients drawn from surgical wards of UNTH participated in this study. They comprised 93 males and 117 females who were aged 18-80 years. The state Anxiety scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger et al, 1970) was used to assess anxiety, while the Religious Commitment Inventory (Worthington et al, 2003), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al, 1990) were used in assessing predictor variables before surgery. After surgery, the State Anxiety scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was re-administered. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression statistics. Results showed that the predictor variables: Interpersonal religious commitment (β = -.321, p