Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention for PTSD in ICU Patients After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Cardiac Surgery

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass may experience stressful events such as mechanical ventilation, invasive procedures, physical restriction, noise from monitoring devices, sleep disturbance, and uncertainty about their condition. These experiences may lead to fragmented ICU memories, gaps in factual understanding, frightening or unreal memories, and a persistent sense of threat after discharge. These factors may increase the risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Existing supportive approaches, such as routine psychological education or ICU diaries, may help patients obtain factual information and emotional support. However, they may not sufficiently support patients in actively organizing and processing stressful ICU-related memories. Therefore, this study will test an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention designed for patients after cardiopulmonary bypass cardiac surgery.

The intervention is delivered during the perioperative and early recovery period. It uses an ICU visitor book as a narrative support tool. The visitor book contains selected and privacy-protected photos, family messages, and key recovery events. These materials are used to help patients reconstruct the timeline of their ICU experience, understand what happened during treatment, and narrate stressful events in a guided and structured way. The intervention also includes brief education about stress reactions, grounding strategies, review of ICU experiences, and integration of the experience before discharge.

The intervention is preventive rather than therapeutic treatment for diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder. It is intended to help patients form a more coherent and understandable account of their ICU experience, reduce distress related to fragmented or frightening memories, and support psychological recovery after cardiac surgery.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 years or older.
• Scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, with planned postoperative admission to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit and an expected ICU stay of more than 24 hours.
• The participant is able to communicate effectively, and the participant and family members are willing to cooperate with the study.
• Conscious before the first postoperative intervention, negative for delirium as assessed by the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit, and able to understand and complete the intervention and related assessments.

Exclusion criteria

• Experienced severe traumatic events within the past year, such as diagnosis of a major disease unrelated to the current cardiac condition in the participant or an immediate family member, or death of an immediate family member or significant other.
• Currently receiving treatment for mental disorders, including pharmacological treatment or psychotherapy for conditions such as depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
• History of a clearly diagnosed severe mental disorder, or mental abnormalities caused by organic brain disease.