Assessing the Effect of a Telephone-Supported Need-Based Educational Program on Anxiety and Depression of Families of Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

Identifying and meeting the psycho-social needs of family members of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is an undeniable necessity and priority for nurses.

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of a need-based educational program on anxiety and depression of families of patients admitted to the ICU.

In this quasi-experimental study, a telephone-supported need-based educational program was conducted on 88 family members of patients admitted to the ICU wards of educational hospitals in the city of Zanjan. A demographic information questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 software and the Wilcoxon statistical test.

The findings indicated that the majority of the investigated patients were male (51.1%) and married (89.8%), with the mean age of 50.3±15 years. Most of the investigated family members were the patients’ spouses, with the mean age of 46.2±10.7 years, and had a diploma and university education (71.6%). The needs of family members included the need for assurance (3.24±0.5), the need for proximity (3.22±0.55), the need for information (3.11±0.49), the need for comfort (2.52±0.67), and the need for support (2.16±0.68), respectively. The levels of anxiety and depression significantly reduced after the intervention (P<0.0001).

Based on the study results, it is recommended to use a need-based educational program to reduce anxiety and depression of family members of patients admitted to the ICU.