One Year Later: Family Members of Patients with COVID-19 Experience Persistent Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202209-793oc
• Publication Date: 2022-12-12T17:31:00Z
• Authors: Melanie Ambler; Sarah Rhoads; Ryan Peterson; Ying Jin; Priscilla Armstrong; Priscilla Collier; Margaret Hope Cruse; Nicholas Csikesz; May Hua; Ruth A. Engelberg; Karin Halvorson; Joanna Heywood; Melissa Lee; Keely Likosky; Megan Mayer; Donald McGuirl; Marc Moss; Elizabeth Nielsen; Olivia Rea; Wendy Tong; James Wykowski; Stephanie Yu; Renee D. Stapleton; J. Randall Curtis; Timothy Amass
• Keywords: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Critical Illness; Humans; COVID-19; Family; Prospective Studies; Original Research

Rationale: Family members of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have described increased symptoms posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Little is known about how these may change over time. Objectives: We studied changes in PTSD family COVID-19 12 months. Methods: This prospective, multisite observational cohort study recruited participants at hospitals five states. Calls were made to 3–4 months, 6 and months after patient admission the intensive care unit. Results: There 955 eligible members, whom 330 (53.3% those reached) consented participate. Complete longitudinal data was acquired for 115 individuals (34.8% consented). measured by IES-6 (Impact Events Scale-6), a score least 10 identifying significant symptoms. At 3 mean 11.9 ± 6.1, 63.6% having symptoms, decreasing 32.9% 1 year (mean score, 7.6 5.0). Three clusters symptom evolution emerged time: persistent (34.8%, n = 40), recovered (33.0%, 38), nondevelopment (32.2%, 37). Although as Hispanic demonstrated initially higher adjusted scores (2.57 points [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1–4.1; P < 0.001]), they also more dramatic improvement time (4.7 greater decrease CI, 3.2–6.3; 0.001]). Conclusions: One later, some continue experience PTSD. Further studies are needed better understand various differences contribute risk