Health‐related quality of life, anxiety and depression and physical recovery after critical illness – A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Critical illness is often followed by mental and physical impairments.We aimed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), symptoms of anxiety and depression, and physical function in critically ill patients after discharge from the intensive care unit. Methods:For this prospective cohort study we included all available adult patients admitted to the ICU for >24 h during a 12-month period. Home visits took place at 3 and 12 months after discharge from the hospital and included Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Chelsea Critical Care Assessment Too (CPAx). Results:We visited 79 patients at 3 and 53 at 12 months. In patients with data from both visits the mental components SF-36 scores (median (IQR)) were 55 (43-63) at 3, and 58.5 (49.5-64) at 12 months; physical component SF-36 scores were 35 (28-45) at 3, and 36 (28-42) at 12 months. SF-36 subdomains of mental health, social functioning, and role emotional were close to normal. Vitality, bodily pain, general health, physical functioning, and role physical were severely affected. Incidences of anxiety and depression symptoms were 16%/8% at 3 and 13%/8% at 12 months) and physical function (CPAx) was 47 at both time points). Conclusion:We found no change in HRQoL, anxiety, and depression, or physical function from 3 months to 1 year. Physical health-related quality of life was impaired at both time points. Subdomain scores for physical health-related quality of life were affected more than mental domains at both time points.