Long-term Prevalence of PTSD Symptom in Family Members of Severe COVID-19 Patients

jintensivecare.biomedcentral.com December 19, 2024

The prevalence of PTSD-related symptoms among family members of severely ill COVID-19 patients stayed high up to 18 months after the patients’ ICU discharge.

Some showed delayed onset of PTSD-related symptoms in the remote period after the patient’s ICU discharge. This highlights the need for a support system for family members that extends into the remote post-ICU period.

This prospective study, conducted in a tertiary university hospital in Tokyo, enrolled family members of severe COVID-19 ICU patients (July 2020 to June 2022 with final follow-up ending in December 2023).

The primary outcome was family member symptoms of PTSD at 6, 12 and 18 months after ICU discharge, measured by the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (presence of PTSD symptoms defined by score > 24).