Original Research: Exploring the Effects of a Nurse-Initiated Diary Intervention on Post–Critical Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
| Autor: | Gordon F. West, Lorrie Torres, Francine Nelson |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Male
medicine.medical_specialty Critical Illness Writing MEDLINE Critical Care Nursing behavioral disciplines and activities Original research law.invention Stress Disorders Post-Traumatic 03 medical and health sciences law Critical care nursing Intervention (counseling) Humans Medicine Survivors Psychiatry General Nursing 030504 nursing business.industry General Medicine Middle Aged Intensive care unit Hospitalization Intensive Care Units Military personnel Posttraumatic stress Military Personnel Working through Female 0305 other medical science business |
| Zdroj: | AJN, American Journal of Nursing. 120:24-33 |
| ISSN: | 0002-936X |
| DOI: | 10.1097/01.naj.0000662804.81454.66 |
| Popis: | Background Critical illness survivors may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following critical illness and hospitalization. Left untreated, PTSD may result in poor health outcomes. Purpose This study sought to examine the effects of a nurse-initiated diary intervention on PTSD development and symptom severity in critical illness survivors with varying levels of mentation. Methods The study used a pretest-posttest control group design. Patients who were hospitalized in a critical care unit for more than 24 hours were recruited at a single medical center with two such units. All participants completed a pretest on day 2 of critical care hospitalization; the intervention group participants also received a diary. All participants received a posttest one month after critical care discharge. The variables examined were PTSD severity and symptoms of avoidance, intrusion, and hyperarousal. Variables were measured using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Diaries were written by the patient, visitors, and interdisciplinary team members, and kept by the patient. Results A total of 134 participants completed the study. The intervention group participants experienced significantly fewer PTSD symptoms than the control group participants. PTSD was found to be of concern in 35 (26%) of all participants: five in the intervention group and 30 in the control group. Conclusions For critical illness survivors, a collaborative diary-writing intervention during hospitalization and after discharge can mitigate post-critical care PTSD. Participants who received diaries had a lower incidence of PTSD symptoms than controls; and at follow-up, they indicated that the diary intervention was worthwhile. We recommend the use of collaborative diary writing to help critical illness survivors in working through their experiences. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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