The dyadic coping experience of ICU transfer patients and their spouses: A qualitative study

The patient's spouse, in their role as the primary caregiver, assumes responsibility for the patient's care during the recovery process and provides the most robust social support. Previous research has primarily focused on the coping experiences and thoughts of individual intensive care unit (ICU) patients or caregivers, with limited attention afforded to the relationship between patients and their spouses.

This study aims to explore the dyadic coping experiences of ICU transfer patients and their spouses, with the goal of providing evidence to support the subsequent development of an individualized intervention program.

A qualitative study using a phenomenological research approach was undertaken. Purposive sampling was employed to select participants for face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews took place at a tertiary general hospital in Nanjing from January 2023 to February 2023.Twelve ICU transfer patients and their twelve spouses were interviewed. The data were then summarized, and themes were derived using the Colaizzi 7-step analysis method.

A total of four themes and eleven sub-themes emerged from the analysis. The identified themes include positive coping (actively seeking solutions, and facing challenges together), negative coping (avoiding problems, displaying overprotective behaviour, and bearing the burden alone), difficulties and challenges (a lack of information, high physical and psychological stress, and significant financial burden), and needs and suggestions (strengthening transition care, fostering increased intimacy, and reducing negative emotions).

Both patients and spouses experience physical and psychological stress during the transfer from the ICU to the ward. Therefore, any intervention developed for caregivers should be designed in a dyadic manner. Increasing dyadic coping skills may represent an important area for future research and intervention.

This study provides valuable evidence to inform the formulation of a comprehensive dual disease management plan for ICU transfer patients and their spouses.