The CANDI Project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The CANDI Project: Correlational Analysis of Interoceptive Domains within/post ICU.
IRAS ID
351927
Contact name
Rowena Carter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Interoception is our ability to sense and understand signals from inside our bodies, like feeling hungry. This ability is important for both physical health and emotional well-being. When interoception is disrupted, it has been linked to various physical and mental health conditions. It may also help explain why some health issues tend to occur together and could increase the risk of developing mental health problems in the future.
Being in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a stressful and often traumatic experience. More than half of ICU patients develop "post-ICU syndrome," which can cause a range of health problems. These issues are more common in patients who required more intensive treatments, such as being on a ventilator. Many people experience mental health challenges after leaving ICU and these effects can persist for a long time, significantly impacting their quality of life.
The impact of an ICU stay on interoception has not yet been studied. If ICU patients do experience changes in interoception, this could be an important sign of who might be at greater risk for long-term mental health difficulties. Understanding these changes could help develop better treatments and support for recovering ICU patients.
This research investigates whether it is possible to measure interoception in patients in the ICU. Participants will be recruited from the ICU wards at King’s College Hospital. Participation involves completing a questionnaire.
We will also recruit people who have previously stayed in ICU and a control group who will also complete the questionnaire. This is so we can compare groups, and see if any changes persist over time.
Data collection will conclude by 31/08/2025.
This research is undertaken to fulfil the dissertation requirement for the MSc in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind Body Interface at King’s College London. There are no external funding bodies.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NE/0092
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion