Invasiveness of medical procedures and state anxiety in women.

The authors studied state anxiety in women awaiting three different medical examinations: abdominal ultrasonography, mammography, and hysterosalpingography. These procedures differ in degree of intrusiveness and cause, respectively, low, intermediate, and high levels of pain and discomfort. The evidence supported the hypothesis that the degree of anxiety will correspond to the level of invasiveness. In addition, the study examined the impact of demographic variables on degree of anxiety. The results suggest that to plan appropriate strategies for stress reduction, the medical team treating women should be aware of the degree of the procedure's invasiveness.