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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Psychological experience of patients 3 months after a stay in the intensive care unit: A descriptive and qualitative study.

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Abstract Purpose The purpose was to describe psychological experiences of patients 3 months after a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) using qualitative methods. Methods Twenty patients underwent clinical interview lasting 1 hour and completed the Impact of Event Scale—Revised and Hospital Anxiety and Depression questionnaires. All interviews were recorded and coded using thematic analysis. Results All patients (100%) reported that they could not remember their ICU stay; half reported confused memories (50%) or disorientation (50%). Negatives memories were also reported (20%-45%), namely, pain, distress, sleep difficulties, noise, fear, feeling of abandonment; 20% reported positive memories. At 3 months, for 10 (50%) of 20 patients, their ICU experience was characterized by anxiety; 3 (15%) of 20 presented posttraumatic stress disorder; 7 (35%) of 20 reported a feeling of well-being with positive life changes. Well-being seems to be associated with use of coping strategies, such as active coping, positive reframing, optimism, humor, acceptance, leisure activities, and family support. Conclusion Our study highlights the need to investigate patients’ memories of ICU and the coping strategies used by patients to improve their ICU experience. Our findings suggest that a systematic follow-up consultation after ICU discharge would be useful for monitoring of post-ICU psychological outcomes.