Social Work in Adult Critical Care

ICU versus Non-ICU Hospital Death: Family Member Complicated Grief, Posttraumatic Stress, and Depressive Symptoms

“…While it is common in this setting for family members to have access to social workers, these professionals are often focused by necessity on navigating insurance concerns for families, initiating complicated discharge planning, and assessing and providing support for families rather than direct patient support. 29 It is uncommon for most ICU settings to have access to professional mental health care such as psychologists, mental health nurses, or social workers licensed to provide psychotherapy. Gries and colleagues reported that family members of ICU patients who have psychological symptoms would find it helpful to have access to such counseling services.…”