Anxiety and Depression among Patients Admitted to Intensive Care

Background: Critically ill patients in intensive care units frequently experience high levels of anxiety and depression. These symptoms affect the patient's treatment plan and response to treatment. Aims and objectives: To identify the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients admitted to intensive care units in Jordan and their correlation with quality of life. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used. Methods: The sample for this study consisted of 108 patients admitted to intensive care units in seven governmental hospitals in Jordan. Three instruments were used to collect the data: the demographic data sheet, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life tool. Results: More than half of the participants were female (56.5%), and the mean age was 44.6 years (SD 18.2); 84.3% had anxiety with a mean total score of 12.1 (SD 4.3), and 79.6% of the patients had depression with a mean total score of 11.5 (SD 4.5). A significant negative correlation was found between the mean total anxiety score (r = −0.541, P <.001), depression (r = −0.616, P <.001), and the mean total quality of life score. Conclusions: Management programmes for anxiety and depression are highly recommended for intensive care units patients. Such programmes should focus on teaching health care providers correct assessment and management techniques. In addition, developing and implementing a psychiatric consultation support system for these patients might contribute to better management of anxiety and depression. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study reveals high prevalence of anxiety and depression among critically ill patient in ICUs. So, regular assessment of anxiety and depression should be conducted by healthcare provider. This requires using a valid and reliable assessment tool. Early correct assessment would result in optimal management for anxiety and depression through patient referral to psychiatric care and the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Guidelines to assess and manage anxiety and depression should be adapted and implemented into clinical practice within the intensive care units. Regular psychiatric consultation for patients admitted to ICU might be helpful in detecting and managing anxiety and depression symptoms.