title: Increased co-morbidity of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and common risk factors in intensive care unit survivors: a two-year follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the long-term psychological impact of intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, as well as to establish risk factors which successfully discriminate patients at higher risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey (SF-36), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D), and the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) questionnaires were obtained from 48 ICU survivors who were also interviewed and self-reported on several acknowledged risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A high co-morbidity between depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases was observed. Both CES-D and DTS scores correlated negatively with the SF-36 mental health subscale scores; although a causative relation cannot be attributed to this finding, it indicates a potential negative impact of depression and PTSD symptoms on the patients' quality of life even at 18- to 24-month post-ICU. The most important risk factor associated with a long-term impact on quality of life, depression and PTSD was lifetime history of any psychiatric disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During ICU admissions efforts should be made towards identifying and psychologically supporting those patients with a previous history of a psychiatric disease, as they are at considerably higher risk of suffering from the long-term psychological sequelae of ICU admission.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, Medical School, Eginition Hospital , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paparrigopoulos
authors.forename: Antigone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melissaki
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tzavellas
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karaiskos
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilias
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*