title: Psychological repercussions in family members of hospitalised critical condition patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We analysed the influence of certain variables [quality of life (QoL) and passage of time] of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) on other variables (clinical dimensions of personality, family environment, fear of death) of their family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven family members of ICU patients filled in five questionnaires when the patients stayed in the ICU, and 4 years later, the patients filled in a QoL questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following results were obtained: (1) Passage of time has influence on Agitation, Boredom-withdrawal, Psychopathic Deviation, and Psychological Inadequacy, only in family members of patients with good QoL; (2) family members score higher in Hypochondriasis, Suicidal Depression, Agitation, Anxious Depression, Guilt-resentment, Paranoia, Psychasthenia, Psychological Inadequacy, and Expression, and lower in Fear of the process of another's dying, when the patient was in ICU than 4 years later; (3) family members of patients with bad QoL 4 years after ICU score higher in Hypochondriasis, Suicidal Depression, Agitation, Schizophrenia, Psychasthenia and Psychological Inadequacy than did the family members of patients with good QoL.
authors: Department of Personality and Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Seville, Spain.
authors: Agustín Martín
authors: AM
authors: Rodríguez
authors: Ma Angeles Pérez San
authors: MA
authors: Gregorio
authors: Antonio Galán
authors: AG
authors: Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008603:Mental Health; D010551:Personality; D011788:Quality of Life