The Paediatric Intensive Care (PICU) adolescent experience study.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Discharged from Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU): A mixed methods study of young people’s anxiety levels and experiences after PICU discharge.
IRAS ID
236903
Contact name
Elizabeth Bichard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
City University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
Adolescents are admitted to intensive care (ICU) for a range of reasons, some after planned surgery and some as an emergency. Research has shown that adolescents can experience high levels of anxiety and distress during their intensive care stay and after discharge. Unless they demonstrate an acute need for psychological support there is little provision available for their psychological health after discharge from ICU and from hospital. The aims of this project are to identify how many young people score as having increased levels of anxiety after discharge from ICU, and to talk to them about their experiences, with a view to improving our understanding of the issues that they find challenging and anxiety-provoking whilst in ICU. Adolescents tend to be included in research studies with younger children or adults and results of these studies therefore do not illustrate the effect ICU has on adolescents. Adolescents have also been reported to experience complex and long-lasting distress after discharge which further supports the need for a more individualised research studies for adolescents.
The adolescent will be approached by ward staff with written information about the study if they and their parents/guardians are interested in participating in the study after 24 hours the researcher (Elizabeth Bichard) will obtain consent. 48-96hrs after PICU discharge the researcher will ask the young person to complete an anxiety score. At 4 weeks +/- 10 days a sample of adolescents will be asked to repeat the anxiety score and have a 30-minute semi - structured interview with the researcher.
It is hoped that the findings will inform service improvements and increase awareness, with the goal of positively impacting young people who require an ICU admission in the future. Furthermore, it is hoped that dissemination of the research findings will inform national and international practice.REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0064
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion