Since nearly half of all patients with severe respiratory failure who are placed on a ventilator die, we tend to declare victory if a COVID-19 patient comes off the machine alive. But the reality is that many survivors of severe respiratory failure and other forms of critical illness fare poorly, even if they do beat their underlying disease. Their likelihood of developing PTSD, depression or anxiety is similar to that of soldiers returning from combat.

Patients will survive coronavirus—but that survival will likely come at a cost for some. Research on similar populations suggests that at least 50% of people who survive admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) can be left with what researchers now call “post-intensive care syndrome,” a constellation of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms that limit their functioning. Survivors of critical illness can often return to the world with memory problems and difficulty planning and processing that is similar to those with moderate traumatic brain injury or mild dementia. Other survivors experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at an incidence ranging from 10% to 50%. Their caregivers, too, will often experience a cluster of adverse outcomes, including anxiety, PTSD, and depression.

Oxford mental health researchers have published new guidelines and provide free resources for treating patients experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic.