Intensive-care nursing review found better psychological scores, with highly variable results
Pooled results favored psychological nursing support for anxiety, depression, and resilience. Large differences between studies leave uncertainty about what to expect in a particular care setting.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Across the included studies, psychological nursing interventions were associated with lower anxiety and depression scores and higher resilience scores in intensive-care patients. Results varied greatly between studies. This abstract-based account supports a possible benefit on these measures, while leaving uncertainty about the effect of a particular intervention in a specific care setting.
The abstract does not specify comparison care, assessment timing, or the included study designs. Very high variation between studies limits how confidently the pooled results can describe a particular intensive-care setting.
What researchers found
Anxiety scores, pooled standardized mean difference
Psychological nursing interventions; comparator and assessment timing were not reported. Negative values indicate lower anxiety scores.
What the support included
The background lists therapeutic communication, cognitive-behavioural techniques, and mindfulness as examples of psychological nursing support. The abstract does not separate their effects, so the pooled findings cannot identify which component accounts for any improvement.
Reading the anxiety estimate
A standardized mean difference expresses score differences in standard deviation units, using score variability to put different scales on a common basis. The negative sign here indicates lower anxiety scores, not a percentage reduction.
The original publication
Effectiveness of psychological nursing interventions for depression, anxiety and mental health resilience: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Wang X, He R, Long J et al.
Arch Psychiatr Nurs · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41864716
- Record checked
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