Factors influencing post-ICU psychological distress in family members of critically ill patients: a linear mixed-effects model

Written communication and the ICU team experience (WRITE): A pre-post intervention study

OBJECTIVE

Families of critically ill patients may benefit from receiving a written update of patient care each day. Our objective was to develop a system to facilitate care provider creation of written updates and to determine the effect of implementing this process on the care provider experience.

DESIGN

The experiences of ICU care providers (nurses, advanced practice providers, and physicians) were measured monthly during a 3-month pre-intervention and a 3-month intervention period. During the intervention period, written updates were sent to families each day and posted in the electronic medical record. Study investigators assisted by editing and distributing the written communication to families.

SETTING

An urban academic medical center in the United States.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Nurse-Physician Collaboration Scale (NPCS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

RESULTS

Over the 3-month intervention period, care providers created written communication for families of 152 patients (average 5 ICU days per family). NPCS scores among the 65 participating care providers were significantly lower, indicating greater collaboration during the intervention vs. pre-intervention period: 49.9 (95 % CI 46.4-53.6) vs. 55.4 (95 % CI 51.5-59.3), p = 0.002. MBI scores were similar during the intervention vs. pre-intervention periods. A subset of care providers participated in individual interviews. Care providers reported that the process of creating written communication was acceptable and had clear benefits for both families and the medical team.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of written communication as a supplement to verbal communication improves collaboration among ICU care providers without affecting symptoms of burnout.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

We created a system to facilitate written communication with ICU families that was acceptable to care providers and improved aspects of their experience. In the future, use of written communication can be enhanced with refinements to the process that reduce the time spent creating written updates while highlighting the benefits to families and care providers.

Experiences with and needs for aftercare following the death of a loved one in the ICU: a mixed-methods study among bereaved relatives

BACKGROUND

Bereaved relatives of intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at increased risk of psychological complaints. Aftercare might help them cope with processing the ICU admission and their loved one's death. There is little (qualitative) evidence on how bereaved relatives experience aftercare. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic likely impacted aftercare provision. We aim to examine how many relatives in Dutch ICUs received aftercare before and during the pandemic and to qualitatively describe their experiences and needs regarding aftercare.

METHODS

A mixed-methods study among relatives of patients who died in an ICU before or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bereaved relatives in six ICUs completed a questionnaire (n = 90), including two items on aftercare. These were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests. Subsequently, both relatives that received and relatives that did not receive aftercare were interviewed about their experiences and needs regarding aftercare. The interviews were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

After the passing of a loved one, 44% of the relatives were asked by a healthcare professional from the hospital how they were doing, and 26% had had a follow-up conversation. Both happened more often during the first wave of the pandemic than during the second wave or before the pandemic. The most common reason for not having had a follow-up conversation was not knowing about this option (44%), followed by not feeling a need (26%). Regarding the latter, interviewed relatives explained that this would not revive their loved one or that they had already discussed everything they wanted. Relatives who wanted a follow-up conversation, wanted this because this would help them realize the severity of their loved one's illness, to exchange personal experiences, and/or to thank the ICU team. Those with a follow-up conversation said that they had reviewed the medical course of the admission and/or discussed their (mental) well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

ICU healthcare professionals may play a vital role in addressing aftercare needs by asking relatives how they are doing in the weeks following the death of their loved one and offering them a follow-up conversation with an ICU physician. We recommend to include aftercare for bereaved relatives in ICU guidelines.

Capturing the Work of Patients' Family Members in the Medical Intensive Care Unit Using Naturalistic Observations

BACKGROUND

The contributions of cognitive and behavioral work of patients' family members in intensive care units remain largely unrecognized.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop a framework of outwardly observable family work, with specific focus on describing the physical space.

METHODS

We conducted approximately 50 hrs of naturalistic observations of family activities on a medical intensive care unit (MICU) at a large, Midwestern teaching hospital.

RESULTS

We created a framework of activities that include requesting, receiving, or delivering either information or action, along with examples. Further, we identified clinician and staff roles with whom families interact and characterized the physical spaces in which interactions take place.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge contribution is a proposed framework of family activities in the MICU. It has the potential to guide and be further described by future research and to inform development of human-centered family-facing interventions to support cognitive and behavioral cognitive and behavioral work.

Anxiety and Depression in Family Members of Critically Ill Covid-19 Inpatients: Brief Psychological Interventions via Telephone, an Exploratory Study

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the level of anxiety and depression in relatives of critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and to perform an exploratory pilot study on the implementation of telephone psychological interventions to reduce the initial levels of anxiety and depression in this population.

Patients and Methods

Family members of COVID-19 inpatients at ICU answered GAD-7, PHQ-9 and questions on socio-demographic data. A brief psychological intervention was applied via telephone based on the needs of the participants (with adequate adaptation, with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or both). After intervention, participants completed the Patient Global Impression of Change Scale.

Results

A total of 1307 relatives were included (66.5% female), 34% and 29% had anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. These symptoms were associated with female gender, unemployment, and being the parent or partner of the patient. After intervention, 57.9% reported felt better, 31.3% a little better and 6.6% much better; and with emotional regulation techniques and psychoeducation, higher percentages of feeling better or much better were reported.

Conclusion

Brief interventions to reduce the psychological impact of inpatient family members could be effective but will need to be explored further in future studies.

Identification of risk factors for post-intensive care syndrome in family members (PICS-F) among adult patients: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Relatives of critically ill patients who either die or survive the intensive care unit (ICU) may develop substantial mental health problems that are collectively defined as post-intensive care syndrome in family (PICS-F).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

By using a systematised search strategy we included studies that focused on PICS-F in relatives of adult ICU patients and reported the risk factors associated with its development. The search was conducted within PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Library on the 23 August 2022. PRISMA 2020 guidelines were implemented for appropriate reporting. The objective was to document all possible risk factors associated with the development of PICS-F.

RESULTS

We included 51 papers covering 9302 relatives. The frequency of PICS-F varied between 2.5 and 69%. We identified 51 different risk factors of PICS-F, among which we distinguished patient-related ( n = 16), relative-related ( n = 27), and medical staff-related ( n = 8) risk factors. Among 21 studies of the highest quality, we identified the 33 variables associated with the development of PICS-F, of which younger age of a patient, death of a patient, depression in relatives during the ICU stay, history of mental disorders in relatives, being a female relative, being a spouse, and having low satisfaction with communication and care in the ICU were the most commonly reported risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

PICS-F is a highly frequent phenomenon that can be exacerbated by several risk factors. Special attention should be paid to relatives of younger patients with worse prognosis and with the following relative-related risk factors: female sex, being a spouse, and history of mental health disorders. Finally, the medical staff play a role in preventing the PICS-F development, not only by maintenance of proper communication, but also by early identification of relatives prone to PICS-F.

Perspectives from designated family caregivers of critically ill adult patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative interview study

Background

Family visitation in intensive care units (ICU) has been impacted by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic. While studies report on perceptions of families completely restricted from ICUs, little is known about the burden experienced by designated family caregivers allowed to visit their critically ill loved one. This study sought the perspectives of family caregivers of critically ill patients on the impact of one-person designated visitor policies mandated in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Throughout the study period a restricted visitation policy was mandated capturing the first (April 2020) and second (December 2020) waves of the pandemic that allowed one designated family caregiver (i.e., spouses or adult children) per patient to visit the ICU. Designated family caregivers of critically ill patients admitted to ICU September 2020 to November 2020 took part in individual 60-minute, semi-structured interviews at 6-months after discharge from the index ICU admission. Themes from family interviews were summarized with representative quotations.

Results

Key themes identified following thematic analysis from six participants included: one visitor rule, patient advocate role, information needs, emotional distress, strategies for coping with challenges, practicing empathy, and appreciation of growth.

Conclusion

Designated family caregivers of critically ill patients admitted to ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic perceived a complex and highly stressful experience. Support from ICU family liaisons and psychologists may help ameliorate the impact.

Transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards in South Korea: a hybrid concept analysis

Purpose

This study aimed to analyze the concept of transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards.

Methods

The hybrid model by Schwarz-Barcott and Kim was used to analyze the characteristics of transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards.

Results

Transfer anxiety was defined by the following attributes: 1) stress concerning the adaptation process, 2) concern about the child’s condition worsening due to the parent’s caregiving, and 3) involuntary changes in daily life due to the treatment. Transfer anxiety has the following antecedents: 1) uncertainty; 2) a lack of knowledge about the illness, medical devices, and caregiving; and 3) a lack of social support. It resulted in 1) caregiver burden, 2) a decrease in the capacity for coping with caregiving, 3) delays in the child’s physical and psychological recovery, and 4) decreased quality of life.

Conclusion

It is necessary to develop an assessment scale that considers the attributes of transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards. Furthermore, an effective nursing intervention should be developed to reduce transfer anxiety.

Role Mismatch in Medical Decision-Making Participation Is Associated with Anxiety and Depression in Family Members of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

This study aimed to investigate the mismatch between the preferred and actual roles in the medical decision-making of intensive care unit (ICU) patients' family members and the relationship between the role mismatch of family members' decisions and anxiety and depression syndromes. A total of 223 family members of ICU patients in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University in China were enrolled. The simple Chinese version of the Control Preference Scale was used to complete the surveys to assess the preferred and actual roles, and anxiety and depression syndromes were measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. For the preferred and actual roles, the active role rates were 16.1% and 8.1%, the cooperative role rates were 49.3% and 31.4%, and the passive role rates were 34.5% and 60.5%, respectively. The incidence of mismatch was 43.0% between the preferred and actual roles, and the consistency between their preferred and actual decision-making roles was poor (kappa = 0.309, P < 0.001). Family members with mismatched decision-making roles had significantly higher incidence rates of anxiety (90.6% vs. 57.5%, P < 0.001) and depression (86.5% vs. 63.0%, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that mismatches in decision-making roles remained independently associated with these outcomes after adjustment for family members' sociodemographic features. The results of the present study demonstrate that the preferred role of ICU patients' family members is mainly cooperative, and the actual role is mainly passive. The mismatch between the preferred and actual roles is associated with anxiety and depression among the ICU patients' family members.

The effect of structured virtual patient visits (sVPVs) on COVID-19 patients and relatives' anxiety levels in intensive care unit

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

To determine the effect of structured Virtual Patient Visits (sVPVs) on the anxiety, satisfaction, hospital anxiety and depression levels of intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 patients and their relatives.

BACKGROUND

There is no evidence regarding the direct effect of virtual patient visits in the ICU.

DESIGN

The STROBE statement guided this study. This investigator-initiated, prospective and single-centre study included COVID-19 patients and their relatives in an adult ICU between July and December 2020. We implemented daily sVPVs between all patients and their relatives. The study's primary outcome was the daily anxiety levels of patients and relatives immediately before and after sVPVs. The secondary outcomes were as follows: 1) hospital anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) levels during admission to and after discharge from the ICU and 2) satisfaction levels regarding the ICU and sVPVs of patients' relatives.

RESULTS

A total number of 301 daily sVPVs were conducted between 50 patients and their relatives. There was a significant difference between daily anxiety levels before and after sVPVs in both patients (2.97 vs. 1.49) and their relatives (5.70 vs. 3.53; p > .05). Whereas the anxiety levels of patients with basic face or high flow nasal cannula and non-invasive mechanical ventilation decreased statistically significantly more than those with IMV after a sVPV (p < .001), there was not a significant difference in decreased anxiety levels of patients' relatives according to the type of respiratory support provided to the patient (p > .05). HADS-A levels of relatives decreased statistically significantly after discharge/death. There was no statistically significant difference in HADS-A and HADS-D levels after discharge/death between the relatives of patients who died or did not die (p > .05). Furthermore, the overall ICU satisfaction rates were statistically significantly lower in relatives of patients who died than those who did not die (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Regardless of whether the patients were intubated, sVPVs reduced the anxiety levels of all patients and relatives. The sVPV programme offered emotional support to patients and family members, with high levels of satisfaction, as well as provided regular informative updates and the opportunity for daily visits or final goodbyes.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

The sVPV programme is essential for all ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Predictors of posttraumatic growth of the family members of neurosurgical intensive care unit patients: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Confronted with the potentially traumatic experience of a patients intensive care unit hospitalisation, family members may show positive changes associated with growth in addition to negative impact. This study aimed to identify the level of posttraumatic growth of the family members of neurosurgical intensive care unit patients and to explore its relation to positive personality characteristics, such as gratitude, resilience and hope.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A cross-sectional study involving 340 family members of patients admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit at a general tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China.

METHODS

Before the patients' hospital discharge, the participants completed questionnaires, assessing posttraumatic growth (PTG Inventory), social support (Social Support Rating Scale), resilience (Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), hope (Herth Hope Index) and gratitude (Gratitude Questionnaire Six-Item Form).

RESULTS

The mean total posttraumatic growth score was 73.38 (14.02). Hope, gratitude, resilience and social support showed a positive correlation with the posttraumatic growth Inventory scores. There were significant differences in the posttraumatic growth scores of the family members of neurosurgical intensive care patients with respect to their different religious beliefs, payment methods, family relationship quality and presence of chronic diseases among family members. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that gratitude, resilience and social support were independent predictors of the posttraumatic growth Inventory score.

CONCLUSION

Family members may experience some degree of posttraumatic growth during hospitalisation of patients in the neurosurgical intensive care units. Gratitude, social support and resilience are predictive factors for posttraumatic growth.

Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS): an overview of the definition, etiology, risk factors, and possible counseling and treatment strategies

INTRODUCTION

Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) has only recently been recognized as a new clinical entity in patients surviving their intensive care unit (ICU) stay due to critical illness. With increasing survival rates of ICU patients worldwide, there is a rising interest regarding post-ICU recovery.

AREAS COVERED

First, based on the current literature a definition is provided of PICS, including the domains of impairments that comprise PICS along with the etiology and risk factors. Second, preventive measures and possible treatment strategies integrated in the follow-up care are described. Third, the authors will discuss the current SARS-Cov-2 pandemic and the increased risk of PICS in these post-ICU patients and their families.

EXPERT OPINION

PICS is a relatively new entity, which not only encompasses various physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments but also impacts global health due to long-lasting detrimental socioeconomic burdens. Importantly, PICS also relates to caregivers of post-ICU patients. Strategies to reduce this burden will not only be needed within the ICU setting but will also have to take place in an interdisciplinary, multifaceted approach in primary care settings. Additionally, the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic has a high burden on post-ICU patients and their relatives.