• Renata Rego Lins Fumis and Daniel Deheinzelin.
• Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, Centro de Tratamento e Pesquisa Hospital A C Camargo, Rua Prof. Antônio Prudente, 211, São Paulo, SP CEP 01509-900, Brazil.
• Intensive Care Med. 2009 May 1;35(5):899-902.

ObjectiveTo determine prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in family members of critically ill cancer patients.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingA 23-bed intensive care unit in a tertiary cancer centre.Patients And ParticipantsThree hundred consecutive families of cancer patients with length of stay >72 h in ICU.InterventionNone.Measurements And Main ResultsThe Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire and critical care family needs inventory were completed by family members. Prevalence of anxiety and depression in family members was 71 and 50.3%, respectively. Regarding the patients' disease, family depression was correlated with presence of metastasis, whereas hematological malignancies correlated with family' anxiety. Anxiety was independently associated with one patient-related factor (prolonged mechanical ventilation) and two family-related factors (catholic religion and gender). Factors associated with symptoms of depression included one patient-related factor (presence of metastasis) and one family-related factor (gender).ConclusionsPresent findings demonstrated a high prevalence of anxiety and depression in critically ill cancer patients' family members during an intensive care unit stay.

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