Key result
ECMO survivors experience early post-discharge anxiety and depression in up to ~85% of patients.
Why the study?
ECMO survivors are at high risk of psychological distress and functional impairment after discharge, yet prospective data in adult survivors remain scarce, particularly in Asian populations.
Cross-Sectional (n=20)
No
Adult ECMO survivors experience a high burden of clinically relevant anxiety and depression shortly after discharge, highlighting the need for routine psychological screening.
High anxiety prevalence in ECMO survivors supports screening consideration; leaves open need for larger prospective outcome studies.
Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) survivors are at high risk of psychological distress and functional impairment after hospital discharge, yet prospective data in adult survivors remain scarce, particularly in Asian populations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically apply the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess psychological distress in adult ECMO survivors. Methods: We conducted a single-center pilot study of adult ECMO survivors and collected post-discharge questionnaire data on functional status using the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, stressful life events, and symptoms of anxiety and depression using HADS. Patients with available age, complete HADS-Anxiety (HADS-A) and HADS-Depression (HADS-D) scores, and documented sex were included in the analysis (n = 20; 80.0% male). Results: The mean age was 60.8 ± 10.7 years, and the mean hospital length of stay was 70.5 ± 11.5 days. The mean IADL total score was 23.2 ± 10.3, and the mean stressful life events score was 85.6 ± 15.5, suggesting substantial exposure to stress despite relatively preserved instrumental activities of daily living. The mean HADS-A and HADS-D scores were 9.45 ± 3.09 and 9.40 ± 1.67, respectively; clinically relevant anxiety (HADS-A ≥ 8) and depression (HADS-D ≥ 8) were present in 70.0% and 85.0% of patients. Pearson correlation analyses showed no statistically significant linear associations between HADS scores and age, ECMO duration, ICU stay, or follow-up time, although longer ICU stay tended to correlate with higher anxiety scores (r = 0.40, p = 0.078). Conclusions: In this pilot cohort, most adult ECMO survivors reported clinically relevant anxiety and depressive symptoms shortly after discharge, despite relatively preserved instrumental activities of daily living. These findings highlight a substantial burden of psychological distress and support routine HADS-based screening in ECMO follow-up care.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Tseng et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) survivors (n=20). ECMO was evaluated on Clinically relevant anxiety (HADS-A ≥ 8) and depression (HADS-D ≥ 8). In a pilot cohort of 20 adult ECMO survivors, clinically relevant anxiety and depression were highly prevalent shortly after discharge, affecting 70.0% and 85.0% of patients, respectively.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: