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Critical Care
Published in: Critical Care 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Septicemia | Research

Impact of post-traumatic stress symptoms on the health-related quality of life in a cohort study with chronically critically ill patients and their partners: age matters

Authors: Gloria-Beatrice Wintermann, Katja Petrowski, Kerstin Weidner, Bernhard Strauß, Jenny Rosendahl

Published in: Critical Care | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Survivors of an acute critical illness with continuing organ dysfunction and uncontrolled inflammatory responses are prone to become chronically critically ill. As mental sequelae, a post-traumatic stress disorder and an associated decrease in the health-related quality of life (QoL) may occur, not only in the patients but also in their partners. Currently, research on long-term mental distress in chronically critically ill patient-partner dyads, using appropriate dyadic analysis strategies (patients and partners being measured and linked on the same variables) and controlling for contextual factors, is lacking.

Methods

The present study investigates the interdependence of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and the health-related QoL in n = 70 dyads of chronically critically ill patients and their partners, using the Actor-Partner-Interdependence Model (APIM) under consideration of contextual factors (age, gender, length of partnership). The Post-traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS-10) and Euro-Quality of Life (EQ-5D-3L) were applied in both the patients and their partners, within up to 6 months after the transfer from acute care ICU to post-acute ICU.

Results

Clinically relevant post-traumatic stress symptoms were reported by 17.1% of the patients and 18.6% of the partners. Both the chronically critically ill patients and their partners with more severe post-traumatic stress symptoms also showed a decreased health-related QoL. The latter was more pronounced in male partners compared to female partners or female patients. In younger partners (≤ 57 years), higher values of post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with a decreased QoL in the patients.

Conclusions

Mental health screening and psychotherapeutic treatment options should be offered to both the chronically critically ill patients and their partners. Future research is required to address the special needs of younger patient-partner dyads, following protracted ICU treatment.

Trial registration

German Clinical Trials Register No. DRKS00003386. Registered 13 November 2011
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Impact of post-traumatic stress symptoms on the health-related quality of life in a cohort study with chronically critically ill patients and their partners: age matters
Authors
Gloria-Beatrice Wintermann
Katja Petrowski
Kerstin Weidner
Bernhard Strauß
Jenny Rosendahl
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Critical Care / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1364-8535
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-019-2321-0

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