Abstract
BACKGROUND: The two-way, three-stage psychological intervention for patients with dental pulp disease offers a reference for nursing interventions in such cases. AIM: To examine the effects of a three-stage psychological intervention on psychological resilience and health behaviors. METHODS: A total of 114 patients with dental pulp disease treated between December 2022 and December 2023 were allocated into two groups according to the random lottery method, with 57 patients in each group. The control group adopted the teaching method, while the observation group used a three-stage psychological intervention combined with the teaching method. We compared psychological resilience, coping strategies, dental fear, health behavior habits, and stigma between the two groups. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significantly improved scores on the psychological resilience scale (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale) (P < 0.05); positive and negative response scores also improved after the intervention (P < 0.05); significant differences were observed between the observation and control groups in the Chinese version of the Stouthard Dental Fear Scale (Dental Anxiety Inventory), the Social Impact Scale, and health behavior score (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combining a three-stage psychological intervention with the back-teaching method effectively reduces dental fear and stigma in patients with dental pulp disease. It also improves psychological resilience, coping strategies, and health behavior habits, achieving significant results.