title: Anxiety and depression symptoms among families of adult intensive care unit survivors immediately following brief length of stay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prior studies of anxiety and depression among families of intensive care unit patients excluded those admitted for less than 2 days. We hypothesized that families of surviving patients with length of stay less than 2 days would have similar prevalence of anxiety and depression compared with those admitted for longer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred six family members in the neurosciences and medical intensive care units at a university hospital completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 106 participants represented a response rate of 63.9% among those who received surveys. Fifty-eight surveys (54.7%) were from relatives of patients who were discharged within 2 days of admission, whereas 48 (45.3%) were from those admitted for longer. No difference in anxiety was detected; prevalence was 20.7% (95% confidence interval, 10.4) among shorter stay families and 8.3% (7.8) among longer stay families (P = .10). No difference was also seen with depression; prevalence was 8.6% (7.2) among shorter stay families and 4.2% (5.7) among longer stay families (P = .45).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Families of surviving patients with brief length of stay may have similar prevalence of anxiety and depression at discharge to those with longer length of stay.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale School of Medicine (YSM), New Haven, CT 06510, USA. Electronic address: david.hwang@yale.edu.
authors.forename: David Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Center, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yagoda
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Center, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Hilary M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Perrey
authors.affiliation: Medical Intensive Care Unit, MGH, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Currier
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurocritical Care and Emergency Neurology, MGH, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Tara M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tehan
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurocritical Care and Emergency Neurology, MGH, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guanci
authors.affiliation: Medical Intensive Care Unit, MGH, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ananian
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Center, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: J Perren
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.affiliation: Medical Intensive Care Unit, MGH, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D015995:Prevalence; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Family; Intensive care; Outcomes assessment; Questionnaires