title: Stressors in the relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify and stratify the main stressors for the relatives of patients admitted to the adult intensive care unit of a teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit from April to October 2014. The following materials were used: a questionnaire containing identification information and demographic data of the relatives, clinical data of the patients, and 25 stressors adapted from the Intensive Care Unit Environmental Stressor Scale. The degree of stress caused by each factor was determined on a scale of values from 1 to 4. The stressors were ranked based on the average score obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main cause of admission to the intensive care unit was clinical in 36 (52.2%) cases. The main stressors were the patient being in a state of coma (3.15 ± 1.23), the patient being unable to speak (3.15 ± 1.20), and the reason for admission (3.00 ± 1.27). After removing the 27 (39.1%) coma patients from the analysis, the main stressors for the relatives were the reason for admission (2.75 ± 1.354), seeing the patient in the intensive care unit (2.51 ± 1.227), and the patient being unable to speak (2.50 ± 1.269).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Difficulties in communication and in the relationship with the patient admitted to the intensive care unit were identified as the main stressors by their relatives, with the state of coma being predominant. By contrast, the environment, work routines, and relationship between the relatives and intensive care unit team had the least impact as stressors.
authors.affiliation: Curso Acadêmico de Medicina, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angélica Adam
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Curso Acadêmico de Medicina, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna Dorfey
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Weigel
authors.affiliation: Curso Acadêmico de Medicina, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claus Dieter
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Dummer
authors.affiliation: Curso Acadêmico de Medicina, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kelly Campara
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Curso Acadêmico de Medicina, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Taís Montagner
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tisott
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires