Effects of psychological intervention on outcomes of critically ill patients and their families: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1739015...

Published: 2026-02-09T00:00:00Z

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 3849 participants evaluated the effects of psychological interventions on post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) in ICU patients and PICS-F in their families. Of the 25 studies, 22 included 3070 patients and 5 included 779 family members. In patients, the interventions reduced anxiety symptoms with effects that lasted until short-term follow-up, and depression improved immediately after the intervention, but this effect was not maintained at follow-up. There were no significant effects on sleep quality, PTSD, or quality of life. For families, no statistically significant improvements were demonstrated in any evaluated result. Evidence is limited by small studies and heterogeneity, highlighting the need for larger, high-quality studies.