Analysis of the actor-partner interdependence model of illness uncertainty on anxiety in patients and their caregivers in emergency observation wards
FENG Ying
LU Mengxin
LI Fei
LOU Jiankun
ZHANG Shenglong
DING Jinping
GAI Yubiao
Abstract：Objective: To explore the interactive effects of disease uncertainty and anxiety between emergency observation patients and their caregivers based on the subject-object reciprocity model, providing a reference for developing targeted dyadic interventions. Methods: A general information questionnaire, the Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale were used to conduct a survey with 205 pairs of emergency observation patients and their caregivers, constructing a subject-object reciprocity model of disease uncertainty and anxiety. Results: The scores of disease uncertainty in emergency observation patients were (77.36±21.67) points, and those of caregivers were (75.58±22.53) points, with no statistically significant difference (P=0.333). The anxiety scores of emergency observation patients [(16.50±7.03) points] were higher than those of caregivers [(14.86±5.83) points], with a statistically significant difference (P=0.009). The subject-object reciprocity model analysis showed that the disease uncertainty of both emergency observation patients and caregivers could positively predict their own anxiety (both P<0.001), indicating significant subject effects; the disease uncertainty of both emergency observation patients and caregivers could also positively predict the anxiety of the other party (both P<0.05), indicating significant object effects. Conclusion: The anxiety of emergency observation patients and their caregivers is jointly influenced by their disease uncertainty, suggesting that clinical workers should explore targeted intervention programs from a dyadic perspective to alleviate anxiety in both parties.
Keywords：patients in emergency observation wardscaregiverillness uncertaintyanxietyactor-partner interdependence modeldyadic perspective
Publication Date：2025-08-25
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-28(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 3350-3355 )