The Effect of Artistic Activities on Anxiety, Spiritual Well-Being, Hope, and Vital Signs in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The surgical process can cause high levels of anxiety and stress in patients, and abdominal surgery is particularly anxiety-provoking due to the risk of severe pain and complications. Artistic activities can be an effective complementary method for reducing anxiety and improving mental well-being and hope levels in individuals. Studies have shown that activities such as music therapy and visual arts have positive effects on pain, anxiety, and vital signs in surgical patients. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of artistic activities on anxiety, spiritual well-being, hope, and vital signs in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The research will be conducted on patients undergoing abdominal surgery at the Department of General Surgery at Dokuz Eylül University. The data collection tools used will be the "Patient Assessment Form," "Vital Signs Form," "Visual Analog Anxiety Scale," "Spiritual Well-Being Scale," and "State Hope Scale." The intervention group will participate in mandala coloring as an artistic activity, while the control group will perform breathing exercises. Data analysis will be conducted using the SPSS 29.0 software package. Descriptive and analytical statistics will be used in the data analysis. The results of the study will determine the effect of artistic activities performed on abdominal surgery patients in the preoperative period on anxiety, spiritual well-being, hope, and vital signs. Based on the effectiveness of preoperative artistic activities in clinical use, a decision will be made as to whether they are useful in preparing patients for surgery in the preoperative period.