PhD Scientific Days 2026

Mental Health Sciences 4.

Effect of preoperative psychological distress on postoperative depression: evidence for a pain-mediated biopsychosocial pathway

Előadó neve

Dr. Máté-Horváth, Nóra

Előadó munkahelye

Semmelweis University

Előadó e-mail címe

mate.horvath.nora@gmail.com

Az előadás címe

Effect of preoperative psychological distress on postoperative depression: evidence for a pain-mediated biopsychosocial pathway

Szerző(k) neve és munkahelye

Dr. Nóra Máté-Horváth¹, Gonda Xenia²

1: Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, Semmelweis University, Budapest
2: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest

Bemutatás módja

Szóbeli

Szekció

Mental Health Sciences 4.

Language of the presentation

English

Összefoglaló szövege

Background
Surgical recovery is conceptualized within a biopsychosocial framework where psychological and biological factors interact to influence surgical outcomes. Mechanisms linking preoperative distress to postoperative psychological and somatic changes are only partially understood. We examined whether preoperative psychological distress predicts postoperative psychological changes and whether early postoperative pain mediates this relationship.

Methods
300 women undergoing non-obstetrical, non-oncological gynecological surgery were followed from the preoperative period to the end of the first postop week. Surgical technique, anesthesia, and pain management were standardized. Assessments were conducted at three time points: (1) preop, (2) postop day 1, (3) postop day 7. Instruments included TEMPS-A (affective temperaments), STAI-S/T (anxiety), PHQ-9 (depression), PCS (pain catastrophizing), and BPI (pain and QoL). Surgical and vital parameters and analgetic use were also recorded. Analyses included correlation, regression and mediation analysis.

Results
Most psychological distress parameters decreased postoperatively, except for depression, which showed an increase. Higher preoperative psychological distress was associated with increased postoperative pain and depression. Early postoperative pain was also significantly related to postoperative depression. Furthermore, early postoperative pain partially mediated the relationship between preoperative psychological distress and postoperative depression increase, suggesting that pain represents an important pathway linking psychological vulnerability to postoperative emotional outcomes. Exploratory analyses suggested that temperament-related vulnerability may contribute to postoperative depression trajectories.

Discussion
Our findings support a biopsychosocial predictive model where preoperative distress influences postoperative depression trajectories both directly and indirectly through early postop pain. Integrating psychological screening into preoperative assessment might help targeting modifiable psychological risk factors, which in turn could improve postoperative outcomes, contributing to personalized and patient-centered care.

Funding
The study is self-founded, with no conflict of interests to declare.

University

Semmelweis University

Supervisor

Gonda Xénia

phd.section.field

before finishing undergraduate studies (TDK, MD-PhD)

Kind

Szabad

Status

elfogadva

Accepted presentation method

szóbeli

Előadás fájl jóváhagyás

jóváhagyta

Előadó

8090

Start

15:00

End

15:10