University of Twente Student Theses
Stress Symptoms, Social Support and Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Adults Family Members of Former ICU Patients
Suntharalingam, A. (2021) Stress Symptoms, Social Support and Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Adults Family Members of Former ICU Patients.
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| Abstract: | Background: The admission of patients in the ICU is growing more than ever. Research has shown that family members of patients who have been in the ICU also experience a decrease in their health-related quality of life as the patients themselves. In this, stress constitutes one of the most influential psychological symptoms among adults. Yet, less is known about young adults, aged 18 to 29, health-related quality of life due to the increased stress. Furthermore, studies have shown that as time passes by, the health-related quality of life increases, although it still remains lower than before. Additionally, research has shown that young adults are less satisfied with their perceived social support. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the association of perceived stress symptoms on the health-related quality of life of young adults of family members who had been discharged from the ICU in the past 18 months, while taking into account the perceived social support and the time the relative has been discharged from the ICU. Method: A cross-sectional self-report study design was employed with 49 young adults (M = 22.45, SD = 2.5 years, 69.4 % female). The stress symptoms, perceived social support, time after the discharge of the relative, and the health-related quality of life of the participants were measured. Results: The mean score on the stress scale (M = 14.53, SD = 4.47) as well as on the health-related quality of life scale (M = 70.02, SD = 14.88) came out to be moderate. The mean score for the social support scale came out to be high (M = 70.02, SD = 4.37). The results demonstrated a positive association between stress and the HRQoL [β = .31, t (47) = 2.72, p = .01] for the target group. This relationship was not moderated by perceived social support or time after discharge. Conclusion: The findings for young adults with a relative in the ICU have shown to be contradictory with the literature findings for older aged adults above the age of 30. Factors contributing to these results, for example the age and relationship of the patient are discussed. Suggestions for future research to explore causal relationships are given. Keywords: stress, health-related quality of life, social support, time after discharge, young adults, ICU |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/86523 |
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