Psychological recovery after intensive care: Outcomes of a long-term quasi-experimental study of structured nurse-led follow-up.
OBJECTIVES
To compare psychological recovery of patients receiving structured nurse-led follow-up and patients receiving usual care after intensive care discharge.


DESIGN
Quasi-experimental study.


SETTING
Single centre, university hospital, mixed intensive care patient population.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression measured three and four times over 12 months after intensive care discharge. Disturbing memories of the intensive care stay and psychological reactions (that one's life was in danger, threat to physical integrity, intense fear, helplessness, horror) three months after intensive care. A mixed effect model tested differences between the groups over time and regression model predicted post-traumatic stress at three months.


RESULTS
The experimental group had significantly more symptoms of post-traumatic stress and anxiety than the control group over the 12 months. Patients from both groups had severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Patients with post-traumatic stress at three months had disturbing memories and psychological reactions.


CONCLUSION
The structured nurse-led follow-up did not improve patients' measured outcomes of psychological recovery after intensive care. Patients with severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress are of concern. Emphasis needs to be placed on disturbing memories of the intensive care stay and psychological reactions when constructing intensive care nurse-led follow-up.
['Jónasdóttir|Rannveig J|RJ|', 'Jónsdóttir|Helga|H|', 'Gudmundsdottir|Berglind|B|', 'Sigurdsson|Gisli H|GH|']
D000368:Aged D001007:Anxiety D016638:Critical Illness D003863:Depression D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007362:Intensive Care Units D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment D011594:Psychometrics D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic D013315:Stress, Psychological D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Post-traumatic stress disorder Anxiety Depression Memory Clinical practice nursing research Follow-up studies Intensive care units Patient appointments