A majority of family members of COVID-19 patients treated in ICUs reported significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in the following months, according to a study published Monday that sheds new light on the impact of hospital visitation restrictions during the pandemic.

The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was roughly twice the rate typically seen after a family member’s ICU stay before the pandemic, which the authors said was likely explained by the lack of access to loved ones during their ICU stay.

“Those with higher scores reported more distrust of practitioners,” according to the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, and PTSD symptoms were especially prevalent among women and Hispanic family members.

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