THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HOSPITALIZATION ON PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES IN BINGHAM UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Hospitalization is an extreme condition in which the affected individual undergoes numerous episodes of health downfalls and emotional disturbances on a day-to-day basis [7]. Hospitalized patients suffer from psychological problems even after recovery and in most cases, is associated with distress and emotional imbalance interfering with the normal functioning. [8] In being admitted to the hospital, there is a disruption on one’s life, in his/her routine and they must now start to perceive the hospital as their home for as long as they remain there as patients. Additionally, the patient as well as those individuals who are usually responsible for the health of the patient often live in a state of constant worry about the patient’s condition [4]. Being hospitalized, individuals may experience a wide range of short term as well as long consequences, it is not only the physical suffering of the body but also factors that affects the patient’s psychological state. [5,6] AIM To investigate the psychological impact of hospitalization on the patient on admission and their family caregivers. METHODOLOGY This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in a Private Teaching hospital in Jos North, Plateau state using 169 participants selected using a probability sampling method. The participants were issued semi-structured intervieweradministered questionnaires to help assess their emotional wellbeing while on hospital admission. RESULTS The study involved 169 participants. 43.8% were males and 56.2% were females, 18.9% of participants are less than 18 years of age. 38.5% are from the ages 19 to 39 years old, 20.7% of the ages 40 to 59 years old, then 21.9% are from the age of 60 and above. 57.4% are married 32.5% as single and 10.1% are widowed. This study also found that out of the 169 participants 48% were negatively impacted psychologically, of which the responses ranged from 69% of them feeling tensed or wound up, 48.5% had worrying thoughts concerning hospital bills, and 40.8% were frightened. Among the 169, participants 57.4% agreed to the fact that the hospital staffs hastened their recovery., A higher percentage of participants do not feel that something awful is going to happen(43.8%). A noticeable portion of patients feel relaxed, and at ease (60.9%), A higher percentage of them, do panic that their condition may get worse. (43.2%) and could no longer enjoy the things they used to (45.6%). Potential limitations to the findings of this study would include: the use of a single hospital which may make the results subject to factors peculiar to our facility and therefore not applicable in other centres. A small sample size of 169 which could mean that our results are not representative of all the other hospitalized patients worldwide. The use of semi-structured questionnaires which may not have allowed participants to fully discuss other components of their psychological well-being not covered by the questionnaires. CONCLUSION We therefore, concluded that patients could have both positive and negative response to hospitalization. While some are entirely down and anxious about the future, others could still see the positive side of life and look forward to enjoying life after hospital stay