Cognitive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder following critical illness and intensive care unit admission

Around a quarter of patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) will develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Given the dramatic increase in ICU admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic, post-ICU PTSD is a relevant concern at the time of writing. Post-ICU PTSD can present variou...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Murray, H, Grey, N, Wild, J, Warnock-Parkes, E, Kerr, A, Clark, DM, Ehlers, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2020
Description
Summary:Around a quarter of patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) will develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Given the dramatic increase in ICU admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic, post-ICU PTSD is a relevant concern at the time of writing. Post-ICU PTSD can present various challenges to clinicians, and no clinical guidelines have been published for delivering trauma-focused CBT with this population. In this article, we describe how to use cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD), a first line treatment for PTSD recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Using clinical case examples, we outline the key techniques involved in CT-PTSD, and describe their application to treating patients with PTSD following ICU.