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The prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder in survivors of ICU treatment: a systematic review

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Abstract

Objective

To determine the prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder in survivors of intensive care treatment.

Design

Systematic literature review including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and references from identified papers.

Study selection

Studies determining the prevalence of PTSD in adult patients who had at least 24 h treatment on an intensive care unit. Independent duplicate data extraction. Study quality was evaluated in terms of study design and method and timing of PTSD assessment.

Data synthesis and results

Of the 1472 citations identified, 30 studies meeting the selection criteria were reviewed. PTSD was diagnosed by standardised clinical interview alone in 2 studies. A self-report measure alone was used in 19 studies to measure PTSD symptomatology. The remaining 9 studies applied both standardised clinical interview and a self-report measure. The reported prevalence of PTSD was 0–64% when diagnosed by standardised clinical interview and 5–64% by self-report measure. PTSD assessments occurred 7 days to 8 years after intensive care discharge.

Conclusion

The true prevalence of PTSD and the optimum timing and method of PTSD assessment have not yet been determined in intensive care unit survivors. Deficiencies in design, methodology and reporting make interpretation and comparison of quoted prevalence rates difficult, and rigorous longitudinal studies are needed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care Society Trials Group, Kadoorie Centre, The John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, OX3 9DU, Headington, Oxford, UK

    John Griffiths, Vicki Barber & J. Duncan Young

  2. Clinical Psychology, Russell Cairns Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, OX2 6HE, Oxford, UK

    Gillian Fortune

Authors
  1. John Griffiths
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  2. Gillian Fortune
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  3. Vicki Barber
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  4. J. Duncan Young
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Griffiths.

Additional information

Contributors: J. G. and J. D. Y. initiated the project. J. G. and V. B. searched, extracted, and analysed the data. J. G., V. B. and G. F. cross-checked the extracted data. All authors participated in discussing the results and in writing the paper. J. G. is the guarantor for the paper.

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Griffiths, J., Fortune, G., Barber, V. et al. The prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder in survivors of ICU treatment: a systematic review. Intensive Care Med 33, 1506–1518 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-007-0730-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-007-0730-z

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