Psychodynamic Implications of Treating Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Survivors.

Abstract

The author, an internist and psychiatrist who works with intensive care unit (ICU) patients, offers reflections and clinical insights on implementing a psychodynamic framework when treating survivors of critical illness. In this short essay, contributions from the critical care and psychoanalytic literature are included to highlight the significance of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and the psychodynamic considerations that might enhance the treatment of this patient population.