The Mediating Effects of Sleep Quality and Fatigue on Post‐Intensive Care Syndrome Among Intensive Care Unit Survivors

Aims This study examines the impact of sleep quality in patients during the first week after transfer from the intensive care unit on post‐intensive care syndrome, as well as the mediating role of fatigue levels. Design A cross‐sectional design was employed in a hospital in southern Taiwan. Methods One hundred twenty‐six intensive care unit survivors were included in the analysis. The outcome measures included a post‐intensive care syndrome scale, the Brief Fatigue Inventory‐Taiwan, and a 10‐point analogue scale for sleep quality. Statistical and hierarchical linear regression methods were used. Results The mean score for post‐intensive care syndrome was 19.9 (SD = 7.6). The mean score for fatigue levels was 40.4 (SD = 15.5), with 93.7% of participants reporting severe fatigue and significant life interference. The mean score for sleep quality was 5.1 (SD = 3.3). The findings indicated that fatigue was a significant predictor of post‐intensive care syndrome, accounting for 78.4% of the variances. Furthermore, fatigue served as a complete mediator in the primary relationship examined in this study. Conclusion Study results demonstrate that intensive care survivors experience post‐intensive care syndrome, which is negatively correlated with sleep quality and positively correlated with fatigue.