Flexible ICU visitation, compared to the restrictive visitation, was associated with a significant reduction in the 1-year prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms in family members.

A total of 519 family members were analyzed (288 in the flexible visitation group and 231 in the restrictive visitation group).

Three-hundred sixty-nine (71.1%) were women, and the mean age was 46.6 years. Compared to family members in the restrictive visitation group, family members in the flexible visitation group had a significantly lower prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms (21% vs. 30.5%; adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85–0.98; p = 0.01).

The prevalence of anxiety (28.9% vs. 33.2%; aPR 0.93; 95% CI 0.72–1.21; p = 0.59) and depression symptoms (19.2% vs. 25%; aPR, 0.78; 95% CI 0.60–1.02; p = 0.07) did not differ significantly between the groups.

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