Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: What the Practicing Psychiatrist Should Know

With advances in critical care medicine, many patients are now surviving life-threatening illnesses. However, survivors often have new or worsening physical, cognitive, and other psychiatric morbidity as a result of their critical illness (collectively termed the post-intensive care syndrome) and need ongoing care. Common issues include physical weakness, problems with memory and executive function, and anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Mental health specialists can make a significant difference in survivors' lives by normalizing common critical illness–related experiences, providing psychiatric care, involving and educating loved ones, and guiding patients when indicated to experts in physical and cognitive rehabilitation.