Abstract
Objective
To determine prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in family members of critically ill cancer patients.
Design
Prospective cohort study.
Setting
A 23-bed intensive care unit in a tertiary cancer centre.
Patients and Participants
Three hundred consecutive families of cancer patients with length of stay >72 h in ICU.
Intervention
None.
Measurements and main results
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire and critical care family needs inventory were completed by family members. Prevalence of anxiety and depression in family members was 71 and 50.3%, respectively. Regarding the patients’ disease, family depression was correlated with presence of metastasis, whereas hematological malignancies correlated with family’ anxiety. Anxiety was independently associated with one patient-related factor (prolonged mechanical ventilation) and two family-related factors (catholic religion and gender). Factors associated with symptoms of depression included one patient-related factor (presence of metastasis) and one family-related factor (gender).
Conclusions
Present findings demonstrated a high prevalence of anxiety and depression in critically ill cancer patients’ family members during an intensive care unit stay.
References
Johnson D, Wilson M, Cavanaugh B, Bryden C, Gudmundson D, Moodley O (1998) Measuring the ability to meet family needs in an intensive care unit. Crit Care Med 26:266–271
Azoulay E, Pochard F, Chevret S, Lemaire F, Mokhtari M, Le Gall JR, Dhainaut JF, Schlemmer B, French FAMIREA Group (2001) Meeting the needs of intensive care unit patient families: a multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 163:135–139
Rego Lins Fumis R, Nishimoto IN, Deheinzelin D (2006) Measuring satisfaction in family members of critically ill cancer patients in Brazil. Int Care Med 32:124–128
Pochard F, Azoulay E, Chevret S, Lemaire F, Hubert P, Canoui P, Grassin M, Zittoun R, le Gall JR, Dhainaut JF, Schlemmer B, French FAMIREA Group (2001) Symptoms of anxiety and depression in family members of intensive care unit patients: ethical hypothesis regarding decision-making capacity. Crit Care Med 29:1893–1897
Pochard F, Darmon M, Fassier T, Bollaert PE, Cheval C, Coloigner M, Merouani A, Moulront S, Pigne E, Pingat J, Zahar JR, Schlemmer B, Azoulay E, French FAMIREA study group (2005) Symptoms of anxiety and depression in family members of intensive care unit patients before discharge or death: a prospective multicenter study. J Crit Care 20:90–96
Young E, Eddleston J, Ingleby S, Streets J, McJanet L, Wang M, Glover L (2005) Returning home after intensive care: a comparison of symptoms of anxiety and depression in ICU and elective cardiac surgery patients and their relatives. Int Care Med 31:86–91
Staudinger T, Stoiser B, Mullner M, Locker GJ, Laczika K, Knapp S, Burgmann H, Wilfing A, Kofler J, Thalhammer F, Frass M (2000) Outcome and prognostic factors in critically ill cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Crit Care Med 28:1322–1328
Azoulay E, Pochard F, Kentish-Barnes N, Chevret S, Aboab J, Adrie C, Annane D, Bleichner G, Bollaert PE, Darmon M, Fassier T, Galliot R, Garrouste-Orgeas M, Goulenok C, Goldgran-Toledano D, Hayon J, Jourdain M, Kaidomar M, Laplace C, Larché J, Liotier J, Papazian L, Poisson C, Reignier J, Saidi F, Schlemmer B, FAMIREA Study Group (2005) Risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms in family members of intensive care unit patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 171:987–994
Botega NJ, Bio MR, Zomignani MA, Garcia C Jr, Pereira WA (1995) Mood disorders among medical in-patients and validation of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD). Rev Saúde Pública 29:355–363
Azoulay E, Chevret S, Leleu G, Pochard F, Barboteu M, Adrie C, Canoui P, Le Gall JR, Schlemmer B (2000) Half the families of intensive care unit patients experience inadequate communication with physicians. Crit Care Med 28:3044–3049
Fumis RR, Nishimoto IN, Deheinzelin D (2008) Families’ interactions with physicians in the intensive care unit: the impact on family’s satisfaction. J Crit Care 23:281–286
Perez GH, Nicolau JC, Romano BW, Laranjeira R (2005) Depression and acute coronary syndromes: gender-related differences. Arq Bras Cardiol 85:319–326
Burker EJ, Blumenthal JA, Feldman M, Burnett R, White W, Smith LR, Croughwell N, Schell R, Newman M, Reves JG (1995) Depression in male and female patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Br J Clin Psychol 34:119–128
Breslau N, Chilcoat H, Schultz LR (1998) Anxiety disorders and the emergence of sex differences in major depression. J Gend Specif Med 1:33–39
Bjerkeset O, Nordahl HM, Mykletun A, Holmen J, Dahl AA (2005) Anxiety and depression following myocardial infarction: gender differences in a 5-year prospective study. J Psychosom Res 58:153–161
Groeger JS, Aurora RN (2001) Intensive care, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation: implications for the patient with cancer. Crit Care Clin 17:791–803
Jackson JC, Hart RP, Gordon SM, Hopkins RO, Girard TD, Ely EW (2007) Post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic stress symptoms following critical illness in medical intensive care unit patients: assessing the magnitude of the problem. Crit Care 11(1):R27
Im K, Belle SH, Schulz R, Mendelsohn AB, Chelluri L, QOL-MV Investigators (2004) Prevalence and outcomes of caregiving after prolonged (≥48 h) mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Chest 125:597–606
Douglas SL, Daly BJ (2003) Caregivers of long-term ventilator patients; physical and psychological outcomes. Chest 123:1073–1081
Azoulay E, Pochard F (2003) Communication with family members of patients dying in the intensive care unit. Curr Opin Crit Care 9:545–550
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fumis, R.R.L., Deheinzelin, D. Family members of critically ill cancer patients: assessing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Intensive Care Med 35, 899–902 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-009-1406-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-009-1406-7