Acute Physiologic Stress and Subsequent Anxiety Among Family Members of ICU Patients

Conclusions: Roughly one third of family members experience anxiety after an ICU admission for their loved one, and many family members also experience depression and posttraumatic stress. Cortisol awakening response is associated with anxiety in family members of ICU patients 3 months following the ICU admission. Physiologic measurements of stress among ICU family members may help identify individuals at particular risk of adverse psychologic outcomes.
Source: Critical Care Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Clinical Investigations Source Type: research