Social connectivity and post-ICU recovery: a...

Social connectivity and post-ICU recovery: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction Survivors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and their families frequently experience persistent physical, cognitive and psychological impairments following critical illness, collectively described as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and post-intensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F). These sequelae often emerge during the recovery period after hospital discharge and may affect long-term functioning and quality of life. Social connectivity—the extent to which individuals maintain meaningful social relationships and supportive interactions—has been associated with improved health outcomes in several populations. This scoping review aims to map the existing literature describing social connectivity among ICU survivors and their families and examine how it has been studied in relation to recovery outcomes. Methods and analysis This scoping review will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO will be searched from database inception to December 2025 without language restrictions. Studies examining social connectivity in relation to PICS or PICS-F among adult ICU survivors or their family members will be included. Data will be extracted independently using a standardised charting form and summarised descriptively. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required because this study synthesises previously published literature. Findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and may inform future research and patient- and family-centred strategies to support recovery after critical illness.

Authors

Tang S; Kung JY; Tymchuk S; Carayannopoulos KL; Wilcox ME

Journal

BMJ Open, Vol. 16, No. 9, pp. e115181–e115181

Publisher

BMJ

Publication Date

September 23, 2026

DOI

10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115181

ISSN

2044-6055

Associated Experts

Kallirroi Laiya Carayannopoulos

Assistant Clinical Professor, Medicine

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