title: Effectiveness of a single education and counseling intervention in reducing anxiety in women undergoing hysterosalpingography: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is generally considered a stressful and painful procedure; we aimed to evaluate whether a single education and counseling intervention could reduce women's distress and pain after undergoing HSG for infertility. Patients were randomized into control group (n = 108) and intervention group (n = 109). All patients filled the following questionnaires before and after HSG: Zung self-rating anxiety scale (Z-SAS), Zung self-rating depression scale (Z-SDS), and an ad hoc questionnaire designed to evaluate HSG procedure knowledge. Pain was scored using a visual analog scale. The intervention consisted in a 45-minute individualised session 48 h before HSG. We observed a reduction of anxiety and depression scores in the intervention arm compared to the control group. After controlling for potential confounding variables, intervention was an independent predictor of the difference of Z-SAS score before and after HSG. This is the first randomised controlled trial to assess the potential effectiveness of a single education and counseling intervention to lower anxiety in a diagnostic setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7812-0243
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Fianza
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dellafiore
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Travaini
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6716-4913
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Broglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gambini
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7240-9567
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scudeller
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8749-1978
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caverzasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Natascia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3128-1592
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brondino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*