Effect of Counselling and Education in Reduction of Anxiety and Behavioural Change in Patients Admitted with Swine Flu.

ABSTRACT

Since late April 2009, Swine flu (H1N1) influenza has spread to different parts of the world including India. Public threat and anxiety was widespread, as was the change of certain behaviours in the lay public. We tried to tap the anxiety and adaptation of protective behaviours in case of the patients affected with H1N1 pre and post education and counselling about H1N1 in a nodal centre for treatment of H1N1. It was seen that both self-rated anxiety and anxiety scores measured by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) decreased by counselling and educating the patients about H1N1. A significant change of behaviour towards adaptation of protective behaviours was noticed after counselling and education in the ward. Post-hoc analysis showed a high degree of correlation with self rated anxiety scores and BAI scores. Change in behaviour also correlated with anxiety scores.