ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Psychosocial coping with intensive care delirium: a mixed-methods systematic review of patient and family perspectives
Authors' conclusion
Both ICU patients and their families actively employ a broad range of coping strategies in response to delirium, consistent with the transactional model of stress and coping.
Study context
- Population
- Intensive care unit (ICU) patients and their family caregivers during an episode of ICU delirium10 qualitative studies
- Comparison
- Patients vs Families
- Outcome
- Psychosocial coping strategies, organized within the transactional model of stress and coping
Methodological detailsJoanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, JBI meta-aggregation, Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) quality appraisal, PRISMA 2020, Studies from seven countries, published 1999–2025, Searched MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX to 6 November 2025
- JBI methodology
- JBI meta-aggregation
- MMAT quality appraisal
- PRISMA 2020
- Studies from seven countries, published 1999–2025
- Searched MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX to 6 November 2025
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Coping strategies
- Patients: problem-focused coping (active sense-making, reality orientation, proactive avoidance of delirium triggers), emotion-focused (social connection, distancing, self-control) and meaning-based (positive reappraisal, identity restoration)
- Families: supporting the patient (emotional presence, active reorientation, cognitive stimulation, collaboration with healthcare team) and managing own distress (information-seeking, avoidance, positive reappraisal)
- No quantitative studies meeting eligibility criteria identified
Original publication
Psychosocial coping with intensive care delirium: a mixed-methods systematic review of patient and family perspectives. Crit Care. Published 21 August 2026. doi:10.
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