manifestation of psychophysiological symptoms in male and female patients before their major abdominal surgery

ABSTRACT

This research investigated the differences between female and male patients in their manifestation of psychophysiological symptoms before their major abdominal surgery. The sample consisted of 90 adult patients [45 females and 45 males] admitted for major abdominal surgery in the surgical units of Services Hospital, Lahore. Cornell Index-Form 2 [Sial and Farooqi's Urdu version, 1992] was administered to the subjects, individually, to assess their psycho physiological symptoms. "A Personal History Questionnaire" was also devised to determine the possible etiology of psychophsiological disorders in the subjects. The subjects were matched on their medical status only. Z-test was performed to find out the difference in the level of psycho physiological symptoms manifested by female and male patients during the pre-surgical phase of their abdominal surgery. The results [z = 17.5; SEDX =.76; N = 45; P <.05] reveal that the female patients show more psychophysiological symptoms as compared to male patients [XF = 30.3; XM = 17, respectively] before their major abdominal surgery