The Problem of Emotional Well-Being and Sleep Disorders among Patients of the Neurosurgery Ward – Preliminary Research

Abstract

Introduction. Depression and chronic pain have been among the top three leading causes of global disability in the world over the past three decades. The combination of chronic pain and depression leads to worse outcomes and overall functioning than either condition alone. Studying the links between pain, sleep and depression has become an important area of research. Aim. Assessment of pain, emotional state and sleep disorers among patients of the neurosurgery department. Material and Methods. The study was conducted among 63 neurosurgery patients. Standardized research tools were used: Visual Analogue Scale, Beck Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman’s rho correlation test and Pearson’s χ2 test. Results. The respondents are mostly women (54%), aged 26–78; the average age was 54. In terms of the assessment of the emotional state, patients with no depressive symptoms (42.9%) and with a mild stage of depression (46%) were noted. 77.8% of the subjects declared reduced sleep quality. Most of the subjects reported moderate (44.4%) and mild (30.2%) pain. It was shown that greater intensity of pain was statistically significantly associated with greater severity of depression ρ=0.33; p<0.01 and higher severity of sleep disorders ρ=0.39; p<0.01. It was also found that people with higher levels of depression had greater sleep disturbances ρ=0.74; p<0.001. Conclusions. Problems with sleep and depression of varying severity characterize the majority of neurosurgical patients. Pain is one of the significant factors aggravating these disorders. (JNNN 2023;12(1):24–33)