Hopelessness: Independent associations with health-related quality of life and short-term mortality after critical illness: A prospective, multicentre trial

The psychological factors ability to cope and hopelessness both strongly affected HRQoL after ICU care, and this effect was stronger than the effects of coexisting disease. Hopelessness also predicted mortality after critical illness. Awareness of the psychological state of patients after a stay in ICU is important to identify which of them are at risk.