• Zuhal Gülsoy and Tuba Karabey.
• Zuhal Gülsoy is a service responsible nurse at Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Sivas, Turkey.
• Am. J. Crit. Care. 2023 May 1; 32 (3): 205215205-215.

BackgroundFactors such as the thought of losing the patient, the uncertainty of the course of the disease, and the inability to obtain sufficient information about the patient are frightening and alarming for relatives of patients in the intensive care unit.ObjectivesTo determine the quality of life and the style of coping with stress of the relatives of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis study was descriptive and cross-sectional. A personal information form, the Styles of Coping With Stress Scale, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey were used to collect data.ResultsThe sample size of the study was 162 relatives of patients in the intensive care unit. There was a highly significant (P = .001) positive correlation between the Styles of Coping With Stress mean scores of the participants and their quality of life (as shown by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey).ConclusionsIn addition to the uncertainty and fear associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very distressing to have a relative who is a patient in the intensive care unit. In this context, it is especially important to improve the level of coping with stress of the relatives of patients in the intensive care unit and to increase their quality of life.©2023 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

16 keywords...

hide…