Support of Families in the ICU (SOFI)
Principal Investigator: JR Curtis
Supplemental Funding: March 2006 to February 2008
The purpose of this research activity was to study the risk of depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in family members of patients who have died after a stay in the ICU. Subjects were family members who responded to a parent study about family satisfaction with care and quality of a loved one’s dying and death in the ICU. Surveys that measure symptoms of depression, PTSD, and previous history of psychological disease in the family members were administered via mail.
Publications from this study include:
Kross EK, Engelberg RA, Gries CJ, Nielsen EL, Zatzick D, Curtis JR. ICU care associated with symptoms of depression and PTSD among family members of those who die in the ICU. Chest. 2010. 2011 Apr;139(4):795-801. Epub 2010 Sep 9.
Gries CJ, Engelberg RA, Kross EK, Zatzick D, Nielsen EL, Downey L, Curtis JR. Predictors of symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression in family members after patient death in the intensive care unit. Chest. 2010 Feb;137(2):280-7. Epub 2009 Sep 17.
Kross EK, Gries CJ, Curtis JR. Post-traumatic stress disorder following critical illness. Crit Care Clin. 2008 Oct;24(4):875-87, ix-x.
Kross EK, Curtis JR. Burden of psychological symptoms and illness in family of critically ill patients: what is the relevance for critical care clinicians? Crit Care Med. 2008 Jun;36(6):1955-6.