Psychological Impact of COVID-19 [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The psychological impact of surviving an intensive care admission due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on patients in the United Kingdom
IRAS ID
282400
Contact name
Alicia Waite
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2002-2003 was caused by a coronavirus similar to the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. At the peak of the SARS outbreak, patients reported significantly higher stress levels than healthy controls, with similar symptoms reported up to 1 year later. Furthermore, amongst SARS survivors, females were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and trauma, and were three times more likely than males to have psychiatric morbidity. Female gender was found to be an independent risk factor for chronic post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) up to 30 months after the SARS outbreak.
It is anticipated that there will be a significant burden to healthcare systems as a result of psychological distress. The number of patients expected to require admission to ICU during COVID-19 will outstrip those admitted during previous SARS outbreaks.
The aim of this study is to assess the short- and long-term psychological impact on patients who have survived an admission to intensive care due to COVID-19, and identify possible predictors of anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms in this patient group.
We aim to identify the proportion of patients surviving an admission to intensive care due to COVID-19 who experience anxiety, depression and/or trauma symptoms in the 6 months post-discharge, assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6). We will attempt to identify demographic, clinical and/or psychosocial predictors of depression, anxiety and/or trauma symptoms at 3-, 6- and 12-months post discharge from ICU.
Summary of results
We are very grateful to all of the patients and research teams who contributed to this project.
We found that 44.3% of participants who responded at six months had symptoms of PTSD (43.5% at three months and 43.2% at 12 months).Anxiety was found in 30.4% of participants at six months (28.8% at three months and 29.3% at 12 months).
Depression was found in 25.9% of participants at six months (25.1% at three months and 24.0% at 12 months).
We found that the treatments received in ICU do not predict whether a study participant will experience symptoms of anxiety, depression or PSTD at 12 months. Other factors are more important, including being female, having a mental health diagnosis or other medical problem before being admitted to hospital, being unemployed or on sick leave, or living in a postcode where there is social deprivation.
Only 18.6% of those who responded at six months had attended an appointment with a mental health specialist since leaving hospital. For those who responded at 12 months, 27.9% had seen a mental health specialist since leaving hospital.
Half of the study participants were invited to or attended an ICU follow-up clinic.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0247
Date of REC Opinion
6 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion