Supervisors info:
Στεφανάτου Πενταγιώτισσα, Μέλος Ε.ΔΙ.Π, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τσάλτα Ελευθερία, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Βλασσοπούλου Μαρία, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder of family members of Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of Hellenic Naval Hospital patients during their stay in the unit. This research includes a comparison of symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder between relatives of Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of Hellenic Naval Hospital patients and general people. In addition, sociodemographic and clinical features of patients and their relatives were investigated about their impact on psychological symptoms of family members. Moreover, this study aimed to compare symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder between family members of Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of Hellenic Naval Hospital patients and family members of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of KAT Attica General Hospital patients.
Method: Fifty-six first-degree relatives of patients treated in the CICU of Hellenic Naval Hospital were investigated for symptoms of early posttraumatic stress reaction, anxiety, and depression. Relatives gave informed consent for the study and they completed: a sociodemographic and clinical features questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, (DASS21, Lyrakos et al., 2011) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R, Mystakidoy et al., 2007).
Results: Twenty-five women and thirty-one men were recruited for this study. The mean age was 43years for women and 45years for men. High rates of anxiety (51,8%), depressive (37,5%), and posttraumatic stress (44,6%) symptoms were recorded. Women exhibited higher levels of symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder than men did. It was found that unplanned admission of the patient to the CICU increases the levels of symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The relationship to the patient, was significantly associated with anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms. ICU patients’ relatives reported significantly higher number of symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder than CICU patients’ relatives.
Conclusions: Relatives of CICU patients also suffer symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and services should address this need.
Keywords:
ICU, CICU, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD
