The theory of posttraumatic growth arose from accounts of various trauma survivors experiencing not only distress but also growth and change. An intensive care unit admission is an unplanned, sudden, and traumatic experience, and many survivors have posttraumatic stress that can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder. Survivors leave the intensive care unit with new functional impairments that drive depression, and they frequently experience anxiety. Amidst the stress of understanding the trauma of an intensive care unit admission, survivors can grow in their world views, relationships, and sense of self. Understanding posttraumatic growth in intensive care unit survivors will inform health care providers on how to help survivors understand their new difficulties after an intensive care unit stay and facilitate growth. This article is a conceptual review of posttraumatic growth, identifiers of posttraumatic growth, and how the tenets of the posttraumatic growth theory apply to intensive care unit survivors. Health care professionals, specifically nurses, can incorporate practices into their care during and after the intensive care unit stay that encourage understanding and positive accommodation of new difficulties brought on by the intensive care unit hospitalization to support survivor growth. Opportunities for research include incorporating posttraumatic growth assessments into post–intensive care unit clinics, self-help materials, and various programs or therapies. Outcomes associated with posttraumatic growth are listed to suggest directions for research questions concerning posttraumatic growth in intensive care unit survivors.
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1 November 2020
Invited Review|
November 01 2020
Facilitating Posttraumatic Growth After Critical Illness
Abigail C. Jones, MEd;
Abigail C. Jones, MEd
Abigail C. Jones is a research assistant, School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University and the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee.
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Rachel Hilton, MS, PMHNP-BC;
Rachel Hilton, MS, PMHNP-BC
Rachel Hilton is a research assistant, School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University.
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Blair Ely, BS;
Blair Ely, BS
Blair Ely is a research assistant, Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt.
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Lovemore Gororo, JD;
Lovemore Gororo, JD
Lovemore Gororo is an intensive care unit survivor and former patient at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee.
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Valerie Danesh, PhD, RN;
Valerie Danesh, PhD, RN
Valerie Danesh is an assistant professor, School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, and a research scientist, Center for Applied Health Research, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, Texas.
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Carla M. Sevin, MD;
Carla M. Sevin, MD
Carla M. Sevin is an assistant professor, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt.
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James C. Jackson, PysD;
James C. Jackson, PysD
James C. Jackson is a professor of medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine and Center for Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; a professor, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center Service and Clinical Research Center of Excellence, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System; and a professor, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt Medical Center.
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Leanne M. Boehm, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC
Leanne M. Boehm is an assistant professor, School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, and the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt.
Corresponding author: Leanne M. Boehm, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, 419 Godchaux Hall, 461 21st Ave South, 419 Godchaux Hall, Nashville, TN, 37240 (email: [email protected]).
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Am J Crit Care (2020) 29 (6): e108–e115.
Citation
Abigail C. Jones, Rachel Hilton, Blair Ely, Lovemore Gororo, Valerie Danesh, Carla M. Sevin, James C. Jackson, Leanne M. Boehm; Facilitating Posttraumatic Growth After Critical Illness. Am J Crit Care 1 November 2020; 29 (6): e108–e115. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2020149
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