Abstract: Objective: To investigate the current status of psychological pressure of ICU patients' family members during transitional period, and to provide reference for preventive strategies. Methods: Totally 61 ICU family members who met the inclusion criteria were recruited according to the convenient sampling method.All the patients were investigated by Family Relocation Stress Scale (FRSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) 24 to 48 h before transferring from ICU, after 24 to 48 h, and 7 d after transferring from ICU. Results: The psychological problems of 61 families were different.The incidence of high-risk or positive symptoms of FRSS, HADS-A, HADS-D, and IES-R (invasion+avoidance) in the transitional period was 100.00%, 94.54%, 98.91%, and 67.76%, respectively. The stress source of family members in the transitional period mainly comes from the worry about the patient's condition and the anxiety about the medical conditions and nursing carein the general ward. The scores of HADS and IES-R of family members in transitional period showed a downward trend with the passage of time and the recovery of patients' condition (P<0.001). Conclusion: The family members in the transitional period of ICU transition have serious psychological problems. Although the psychological pressure reduce over time, we still should pay more attention and take effective measures to reduce the stress.

Key words: ICU; family members; transitional period; psychological pressure