The impact of compassion-based interventions on perioperative anxiety and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The perioperative period can be a stressful time for many patients. Concerns for the procedure or fearing potential complications contribute to perioperative anxiety and depression, which significantly impact patient wellbeing and recovery. Understanding the psychological impact of the perioperative period can inform individualized care focused on each patient's unique stressors. Compassion-based interventions are limited but have shown benefits in non-surgical healthcare settings, and can provide support by prioritizing empathy and understanding in the perioperative period. This review evaluates the impact of compassion-based interventions on anxiety and depression among adult surgical patients.

Methods: A systematic review of 25 randomized controlled trials was conducted with a meta-analysis of 14 studies for anxiety and 9 studies for depression that provided sufficient information.

Results: The included studies tested compassion-based interventions that focused on enhanced communication, emotional support, and individualized attention from healthcare professionals. In 72 % of the studies, the interventions decreased anxiety and depression, compared to control groups. These interventions improved health-related outcomes such patient satisfaction and postoperative complications. The meta-analysis indicated a large effect of the compassion-based interventions for anxiety (g = -0.95) and depressive symptoms (g = -0.82). The findings were consistent among various surgeries and patient populations.

Limitations: Many of the included studies lacked clarity in their methods and only 14 studies provided sufficient information for the meta-analysis.

Conclusions: Given the growing evidence suggesting that compassion-based psychological interventions are feasible and applicable in the perioperative setting, their inclusion in routine care could reduce depression and anxiety around surgery and improve patient outcomes and experiences.