Effectiveness of educational intervention with manual for anxiety and stress reduction: controlled clinical trial

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the educational intervention through an informative manual in reducing anxiety, stress, and changes in vital signs in patients awaiting cardiac catheterization. Methods: Parallel, randomized, controlled, blind clinical trial. The study excluded patients waiting for cardiac catheterization; those who received the information manual were randomized to the intervention group, and those who received routine information from the unit went to the control group. The study used the State Anxiety Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale and the ANOVA test to analyze the outcomes between the groups. Clinical Trials NCT03369873. Results: There was no change concerning time, first and second moment (anxiety, P=0.225; and stress, P=0.696), interaction (anxiety, P=0.183; and stress, P=0.444), or groups, control, and intervention (anxiety, P=0.341; and stress, p=0.624). Conclusion: Although the educational intervention performed did not have an impact on the reduction of anxiety and stress, this type of intervention should be maintained for greater comfort and safety of patients and family members.