Association Between Resilience and Family Member Psychologic Symptoms in Critical Illness

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Critical Care Medicine
• Family Studies

Background:

• Critically ill patients' family members often experience elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and stress.
• Psychological interventions can improve family coping mechanisms during stressful critical care situations.
• Resilience, a key psychologic construct, aids adaptation to trauma and can mitigate adverse mental health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between resilience and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and acute stress in family members of critically ill patients.
• To determine if resilience influences family satisfaction with care in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in three medical ICUs.
• 170 family members of ICU patients admitted for over 48 hours were enrolled.
• The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale identified resilient versus nonresilient individuals; psychological symptoms and satisfaction were measured using validated scales.

Main Results:

• Resilient family members reported significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety (14.2% vs 43.6%), depression (14.1% vs 44.9%), and acute stress (12.7% vs 36.3%) compared to nonresilient individuals.
• Resilient family members also reported higher satisfaction with ICU care (76.7 vs 70.8).
• These associations remained significant after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors.

Conclusions:

• Resilience is independently associated with lower psychological distress and higher care satisfaction among family members of critically ill patients.
• Interventions designed to foster resilience may be beneficial in improving the family experience within the ICU setting.
• Targeting resilience could be a valuable strategy in supporting families navigating critical illness.