Efectividad de una intervención grupal psicoeducativa telemática en mujeres con ansiedad consumidoras de benzodiacepinas durante la pandemia por COVID-19 en un Centro de Salud de Cartagena

Abstract

INTRODUCTION There is an important relationship between anxiety, benzodiazepine (BZD) use and gender, since both are twice as frequent in women than in men. The side effects and addiction to BZD have increased the need to develop alternative and/or complementary treatments. Psychoeducational group interventions have proven to be effective in reducing anxiety. Until now, most of them were face-to-face and were led by different professionals, with little evidence of efficacy when they are carried out entirely by nurses, and even less when they are developed telematically. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a telematic psychoeducational group intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic, developed by nurses in women with mild/moderate anxiety disorder who consume BZD, belonging to the basic health zone of Los Dolores of Health Area II (Cartagena), on the level of anxiety and BZD consumption. METHODOLOGY Quasi-experimental, longitudinal, and prospective analytical quantitative research study, carried out through a pre-post experimental cohort, developing a telematic psychoeducational group intervention with training in relaxation techniques in women with mild/moderate anxiety who consumed BZD, carried out carried out in six weekly sessions and a follow-up after six months. For the screening and initial interview, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HARS) was used. The intervention evaluated the difference in BZD consumption through the Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire (BWSQ) and quantified the degree of anxiety through the State-Trait Anxiety Questionnaire (STAI). For statistical analysis, possible associations between categorical variables were evaluated. The differences experienced were calculated using the sign test for quantitative variables and the McNewar-Bowker test for qualitative variables. A logistic regression study was subsequently developed to identify the result that a patient who underwent the treatment would obtain. RESULTS A final sample of fifteen women was analyzed, with an average age of 40.26 (±15.5) years. The highest consumption of hypnosedatives at the health center occurred in the age group of 45-64 years. 65% went to the health center before the intervention to treat their anxiety, mostly consuming Orfidal®. Laboratory: Pfizer, S.L. We found significant differences in most of the analyzes carried out, especially in the multiple regression study, where an improvement in the results in the BWSQ test was found with the PRE-POST treatments of 4 points, and the PRE-6 months of 5 points. The results of the STAI-E subscale showed that the intervention did not produce a significant reduction in the anxiety symptoms mediated by said scale. The BWSQ test demonstrated the success of the nursing intervention in weaning and abandoning BZD, both at the end of the program and six months after it. The intervention caused more than 80% to reduce visits from the health center to treat their anxiety. After the workshop, 45% of the women reduced or stopped BZD consumption, remaining at 27% six months after the intervention. After the intervention, more than 90% of the patients confirmed the effectiveness of telematic learning and more than 80% reported an improvement in their quality of life. 90% of them continued using relaxation techniques 6 months later. CONCLUSIONS The results of the telematic psychoeducational intervention confirm its effectiveness as an alternative for the treatment of anxiety, especially in relation to the decrease in BZD consumed, even 6 months later, achieving statistically significant results with the BWSQ test, evidenced by notable statistical differences. between treatments.