TY - JOUR
T1 - The second year of a second chance
T2 - Long-term psychosocial outcomes of cardiac arrest survivors and their family
AU - Case, Rosalind
AU - Stub, Dion
AU - Mazzagatti, Emilia
AU - Pryor, Holly
AU - Mion, Marco
AU - Ball, Jocasta
AU - Cartledge, Susie
AU - Keeble, Thomas R.
AU - Bray, Janet E.
AU - Smith, Karen
N1 - Funding Information:
This study is supported by an Australian Resuscitation Council Victorian Branch Study Grant . RC and SC received support from the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence: the Australian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (Aus-ROC) (# 1029983 ). JEB is supported by a NHF Future Leader Fellowship. DS research is supported by a National Heart foundation Future Leader Fellowship.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Aim: Cardiac arrest (CA) survival has diverse psychosocial outcomes for both survivors and their close family, with little known regarding long-term adjustment and recovery experiences. We explored the psychological adjustment and experiential perspectives of survivors and families in the second year after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: A prospective, mixed-methods study of adult OHCA survivors in Victoria, Australia was conducted. Eighteen survivors and 12 family members completed semi-structured interviews 14–19 months post-arrest. Survivors’ cognition, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms were measured using a battery of psychological assessments. A thematic content analysis approach was applied to qualitative interview data by two independent investigators, with data coded and categorised into themes and sub-themes. Results: Survivors’ cognition, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms were not clinically elevated in the second year post-arrest. Subjective cognitive failures were associated with increased anxiety but not with mental state. Depression was significantly correlated with post-traumatic symptoms. Six primary themes emerged from survivors’ recovery stories, focused on: awakening and realisation, barriers to adjustment, psychosocial difficulties, integration, protective factors and unmet needs. Family perspectives revealed four primary themes focused on trauma exposure, survivor adjustment problems, family impact, and areas for service improvement. Conclusion: Survivors and their family members describe complex recovery journeys characterised by a range of psychosocial adjustment challenges, which are not adequately captured by common psychological measures. Post-arrest care systems are perceived by survivors and their families as inadequate due to a lack of accurate information regarding post-arrest sequalae, limited follow-up and inconsistent access to allied health care.
AB - Aim: Cardiac arrest (CA) survival has diverse psychosocial outcomes for both survivors and their close family, with little known regarding long-term adjustment and recovery experiences. We explored the psychological adjustment and experiential perspectives of survivors and families in the second year after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: A prospective, mixed-methods study of adult OHCA survivors in Victoria, Australia was conducted. Eighteen survivors and 12 family members completed semi-structured interviews 14–19 months post-arrest. Survivors’ cognition, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms were measured using a battery of psychological assessments. A thematic content analysis approach was applied to qualitative interview data by two independent investigators, with data coded and categorised into themes and sub-themes. Results: Survivors’ cognition, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms were not clinically elevated in the second year post-arrest. Subjective cognitive failures were associated with increased anxiety but not with mental state. Depression was significantly correlated with post-traumatic symptoms. Six primary themes emerged from survivors’ recovery stories, focused on: awakening and realisation, barriers to adjustment, psychosocial difficulties, integration, protective factors and unmet needs. Family perspectives revealed four primary themes focused on trauma exposure, survivor adjustment problems, family impact, and areas for service improvement. Conclusion: Survivors and their family members describe complex recovery journeys characterised by a range of psychosocial adjustment challenges, which are not adequately captured by common psychological measures. Post-arrest care systems are perceived by survivors and their families as inadequate due to a lack of accurate information regarding post-arrest sequalae, limited follow-up and inconsistent access to allied health care.
KW - Adjustment
KW - Cardiac arrest
KW - Caregivers
KW - Cognition
KW - Emotional
KW - Psychological outcomes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110371119&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.06.018
DO - 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.06.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 34242735
AN - SCOPUS:85110371119
SN - 0300-9572
VL - 167
SP - 274
EP - 281
JO - Resuscitation
JF - Resuscitation
ER -