Risk factors associated with transfer anxiety among patients transferring from the intensive care unit to the ward

This paper is a report of an examination of the effect of risk factors on the development of transfer anxiety in patients being transferred from the intensive care unit to the ward.

Transfer of a patient from the intensive care unit to the ward could lead to transfer anxiety, a type of separation anxiety associated with transfer from a secure and familiar environment to an unfamiliar one. Previous studies have demonstrated associations between hospital anxiety and demographic, clinical and social factors.

Data were collected from 100 patients who were transferred from intensive care unit to the ward, using medical records and three self-report questionnaires (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Scale, Health Care System Distrust Scale), completed within 72 hours of transfer, between 2005 and 2006. Spearman Rho correlations were used to determine relationships between variables.

A statistically significant relationship was found between amount of social support (r(s)=-0.21, P=0.04), length of intensive care unit hospitalization (r(s)=0.21, P=0.04) and gender (U=907.0, P=0.03) with transfer anxiety. No statistically significant relationships were found between transfer anxiety and other factors.

Nurses should be especially aware of an increased risk for transfer anxiety among women, and those with lower social support and longer intensive care unit length of stay. We recommend that interventions, especially targeted to these populations, be developed to decrease its prevalence.