ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Effects of a general practitioner-led brief narrative exposure intervention on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after intensive care (PICTURE): multicentre, observer blind, randomised controlled trial
Primary resultResult — go to the resultMean between-group difference 4.7 points 95% CI 1.6–7.8Authors' conclusion
In adults with symptoms of PTSD after critical illness, a brief narrative exposure intervention was feasible and showed a reduction of symptoms, which was less than the predefined minimal clinically important difference. The effect was found to be sustained at 12 months' follow-up.
Study context
- Population
- Adults (18–85 years) who survived critical illness with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after ICU discharge, primary care in 319 general practices across Germany271 (85%) completed 6-month follow-up
- Participants
- 319 adults
- Comparison
- General practitioner (GP)-led brief narrative exposure intervention vs improved usual care
- Interventionn = 160
- Controln = 159reference
- Primary endpoint
- Self-reported PTSD symptoms (PDS-5, range 0-80, higher = more severe; minimal clinically important difference 6 points)
- Follow-up
- Six months
Methodological detailsmulticentre, observer blind
- Multicentre
- Observer blind
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Mean between-group difference
4.7 points
95% CI 1.6–7.8
P = 0.003
Intervention vs Control
mean between-group difference 4.7 points (95% CI 1.6–7.8); P = 0.003
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Mean between-group difference (points) (CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDS-5 score · 12 monthsCohen's d=0.41 | 5.4 (1.8–9.0) | P = 0.003 | |
| −50510Difference, points (linear scale) |
- PDS-5 score: 247 (77%) completed 12-month follow-up
Depression, health related quality of life, disability
- Greater improvements in the intervention group
Original publication
Effects of a general practitioner-led brief narrative exposure intervention on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after intensive care (PICTURE): multicentre, observer blind, randomised controlled trial. BMJ. Published 7 May 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →