Patients and families use distinct coping strategies during ICU delirium
AI-summarized from the linked source. Educational brief, not medical advice.
Brief summary
A mixed-methods systematic review described how ICU patients and family caregivers cope with delirium and highlighted the family caregiver's dual role as a patient resource and a person experiencing distress.
What NurseJet pulled from the source
Ten qualitative studies from seven countries identified patient strategies such as sense-making, reality orientation, social connection, and positive reappraisal. Families supported orientation and emotional connection while also seeking information and managing their own distress; no eligible quantitative studies were found.
Why this matters for nurses
ICU nurses often communicate with both delirious patients and distressed family caregivers. This synthesis can help teams recognize coping needs on both sides, while the qualitative evidence does not establish that any specific psychosocial approach changes delirium duration or outcomes.
Bedside takeaway
Support orientation and connection while recognizing that family caregivers may need information and psychological support too.
How This Applies in Practice
Use this when: Caring for an ICU patient with delirium or communicating with a family caregiver during the episode.
On your shift
- Ask the patient or family what familiar cues, explanations, and communication approaches have been helpful within the approved delirium plan.
- Invite clinically relevant family observations and explain the current care plan in clear, repeated language when appropriate.
- Assess caregiver distress and information needs and route concerns through available ICU support resources.
Key takeaways
- The review included 10 qualitative studies published between 1999 and 2025; no quantitative studies met eligibility criteria.
- Patients described problem-focused, emotion-focused, and meaning-based coping strategies during ICU delirium.
- Families supported patients through emotional presence, reorientation, cognitive stimulation, and collaboration with the care team.
- Family caregivers also managed their own burden through information-seeking, avoidance, and positive reappraisal.
Practice implications
- During delirium care, assess what helps the patient feel oriented and connected, invite family observations when appropriate, and check what information or support the caregiver needs. Use these findings to inform communication within the established delirium and family-engagement pathway, not as proof of an intervention effect.
Limitations & cautions
- All 10 included studies were qualitative, and no eligible quantitative evidence was identified. The review describes experiences and coping strategies but cannot determine whether those strategies reduce delirium, psychological distress, or other clinical outcomes.
- AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.
Citations
Exact source links
Public citations are filtered to exact credible source pages. Homepage-only or invalid links stay in admin review and are not shown here.
Critical care (PubMed)
Critical care (PubMed). Psychosocial coping with intensive care delirium: a mixed-methods systematic review of patient and family perspectives.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42629591/
Professional education only
