The translation and validation of the surgical anxiety questionnaire into the modern standard Arabic language: results from classical test theory and item response theory analyses.

Background: Preoperative anxiety is commonly found in patients who are waiting for surgery and can lead to negative surgical outcomes. Understanding the sources of surgical anxiety allows healthcare providers to identify at-risk patients and implement psychosocial interventions such as counseling, relaxation techniques, and cognitive‒behavioral therapy to minimize anxiety. Few comprehensive psychiatric measures are available to assess preoperative anxiety in Arabic.