Correlation Between Anxiety, Depression, and Patient Tolerance in Patients With no Prior History of Mental Disorders Undergoing Office-Based Laser Surgery: A Case Study

Abstract

Objective

To investigate tolerance to office-based laser surgery (OBLS) in patients with no prior history of mental illnesses, and to analyze the correlation between patient tolerance, anxiety, and depression using validated questionnaires.

Methods

Patients aged 18–65 with no prior history of mental disorders undergoing OBLS from May 2024 to September 2024 were included in this study. All patients completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). After surgery, tolerance was assessed using the IOWA satisfaction with anesthesia scale and a Visual Analog Scale for discomfort.

Results

A total of 25 patients were enrolled. Eighteen patients had moderate–severe anxiety and six patients had moderate–severe depression. The mean GAD-7 was 12.32 ± 4.09, and the PHQ-9 score was 6.60 ± 5.43. The mean IOWA score was 1.78 ± 1.07, and the mean VAS for discomfort was 4.60 ± 3.31. There was a moderate negative correlation between IOWA score and GAD-7 score (r = −0.489) and a mild positive correlation between the GAD-7 score and the VAS score for discomfort (r = 0.372). A mild negative correlation was found between IOWA scores and PHQ-9 scores (r = −0.357) and a weak positive correlation between the PHQ-9 score and the VAS score (r = 0.204). It is important to note that although this study group had a high risk for anxiety and depression, the results indicated that OBLS was a well-tolerated procedure. This could be ascribed to the non-invasiveness of OBLS and proper application of topical anesthesia.

Conclusion

The study revealed a high tolerance level despite a high risk for anxiety and depression in a large percentage of our study group. Moreover, there was a mild to moderate negative correlation between anxiety, depression, and patient tolerance.

Level of Evidence

2.