Work

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

Year: 2026

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions in alleviating Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) in ICU patients and PICS-Family (PICS-F) in their families. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched from database inception until December 2nd, 2025. Review methods: Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the evidence. A systematic review and meta-analysis approach was employed, integrating both qualitative synthesis and quantitative statistical methods to analyze the included RCTs. We included RCTs that compared any form of psychological intervention against any type of control intervention. Results: A total of 25 RCTs involving 3, 849 participants were included. Among them, 22 studies included 3, 070 ICU patients, and 5 studies included 779 family members of ICU patients. The main findings are summarized as follows: (1) patients: psychological interventions demonstrated potential in reducing anxiety symptoms, with effects sustained into short-term follow-up. While depression improved immediately post-intervention, this benefit was not maintained at follow-up. No significant effects were observed for sleep quality, PTSD, or quality of life. (2) families: no statistically significant improvements were found across all assessed outcomes. Conclusion: This meta-analysis comprehensively evaluates psychological interventions for ICU patients and their families. Preliminary evidence suggests that specific interventions may improve anxiety and depression in patients, though effects varied and evidence is limited by small trials and heterogeneity. No significant effects were found for family outcomes. Current evidence remains insufficient to draw definitive conclusions, highlighting the need for larger, high-quality trials with clearly defined interventions. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251003303, CRD420251003303.

Source: Frontiers in Medicine

DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1739015