Assessment of Anxiety Levels in Patients Scheduled to Undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been known to induce elevated levels of anxiety in patients due to multiple factors such as fear of closed spaces when they are scanned in a confined tube for a long duration and loud noise during scans. This study aims to objectively assess anxiety levels in patients scheduled to undergo MRI, using a psychometric scale known as Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The study was conducted involving 2413 patients who presented to the MRI Centre of a tertiary care hospital for 1 year. All patients scheduled to undergo MRI were explained the objective of the study and those willing to participate were given a self-administered set of questionnaires of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score – Anxiety subset. Out of 2413 eligible patients, 2027 completed the questionnaires and were included in the study. The prevalence of anxiety among the prescan sample group was detected to be 52.5% and in the postscan group 66.5%. There was a greater proportion of females detected with anxiety at 60.3%. The most common age group involved was in the range of 41–50 years (37.7%). The fear of confinement in closed spaces and apprehension of high noise levels was detected to be the most common cause of anxiety at 44%. Anxiety among patients scheduled to undergo MRI scans is a major issue that though known has not been given due importance in terms of actions instituted by the hospitals to assess the anxiety and stress levels of these patients. Physicians and hospital administration must make dedicated efforts to put in place psychological support measures to generate the best results out of the scheduled MRI exams, both in terms of clinical outcomes in the form of good quality scans to enable definitive diagnosis, and in financial terms to make the best use of time, workforce and commercial resources available and avoid loss in form of cost increments due to delay/cancellation of scans owing to patient anxiety.