Association of social support before ICU admission with post-discharge mental health symptoms in ICU patients: A prospective cohort study

Abstract Mental health problems after discharge from ICU interfere with physical recovery and seriously affect daily life. Social support has been suggested to be associated with mental health but has not been sufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the association of social support before ICU admission with mental health after ICU discharge. In this prospective cohort study, patients who admitted to the ICU for more than 48 h were surveyed on social support prior to ICU admission, and 3 months after discharge from the ICU, mental health questionnaires were mailed. 153 patients were enrolled; the prevalence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, 3 months after discharge from the ICU was 11.3, 14.0, and 24.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis using linear regression models adjusted for confounding by age, sex, and years of education for PTSD, anxiety, and depression revealed that social support women were independent factors associated with depressive symptoms. Additionally, gender differences were observed in depressive symptoms and social support associations. Social support prior to ICU admission was not associated with PTSD symptoms after ICU discharge. Higher social support before ICU admission may be associated with lower depressive symptoms after ICU discharge. It is important to provide necessary social support when needed.