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Utilizing the nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey dataset from 2016 and using the difference-in-difference technique, we compare the effect of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy on the educational attainment between girls and children with disabilities in Uganda. Although UPE is effective in bridging gender gaps, we observed no significant gaps between children with and without disabilities in poor households, indicating the difficulty parents with financial constraints face in investing in education regardless of disability. Additionally, for disabled samples, we observed a positive effect of UPE on years of schooling for full and female samples but not for poor households, indicating that simply waiving tuition fees as part of the UPE policy is not sufficient to increase access to education.

Returning to work is a serious issue that affects patients who are discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aimed to clarify the employment status and the perceived household financial status of ICU patients 12 months following ICU discharge. Additionally, we evaluated whether there exists an association between depressive symptoms and subsequent unemployment status. This study was a subgroup analysis of the published Survey of Multicenter Assessment with Postal questionnaire for Post-Intensive Care Syndrome for Home Living Patients (the SMAP-HoPe study) in Japan. Eligible patients were those who were employed before ICU admission, stayed in the ICU for at least three nights between October 2019 and July 2020, and lived at home for 12 months after discharge. We assessed the employment status, subjective cognitive functions, household financial status, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and EuroQOL-5 dimensions of physical function at 12 months following intensive care. This study included 328 patients, with a median age of 64 (interquartile range [IQR], 52-72) years. Of these, 79 (24%) were unemployed 12 months after ICU discharge. The number of patients who reported worsened financial status was significantly higher in the unemployed group (p<0.01) than in the employed group. Multivariable analysis showed that higher age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.08]) and greater severity of depressive symptoms (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.05-1.23]) were independent factors for unemployment status at 12 months after ICU discharge. We found that 24.1% of our patients who had been employed prior to ICU admission were subsequently unemployed following ICU discharge and that depressive symptoms were associated with unemployment status. The government and the local municipalities should provide medical and financial support to such patients. Additionally, community and workplace support for such patients are warranted.

Few studies have examined the epidemiology of post-intensive care syndrome in Japan. This study investigated the mental health and quality of life of patients living at home in Japan after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Additionally, we examined whether unplanned admission to the ICU was associated with more severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depressive symptoms. An ambidirectional cohort study was conducted at 12 ICUs in Japan. Patients who stayed in the ICU for > 3 nights and were living at home for 1 year afterward were included. One year after ICU discharge, we retrospectively screened patients and performed a mail survey on a monthly basis, including the Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IER-S), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), and the EuroQOL—5 Dimension (EQ-5D-L) questionnaires. Patients’ characteristics, delirium and coma status, drugs used, and ICU and hospital length of stay were assessed from medical records. Descriptive statistics and multilevel linear regression modeling were used to examine our hypothesis. Among 7,030 discharged patients, 854 patients were surveyed by mail. Of these, 778 patients responded (response rate = 91.1%). The data from 754 patients were analyzed. The median IES-R score was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 1‒9), and the prevalence of suspected PTSD was 6.0%. The median HADS anxiety score was 4.00 (IQR = 1.17‒6.00), and the prevalence of anxiety was 16.6%. The median HADS depression score was 5 (IQR = 2‒8), and the prevalence of depression was 28.1%. EQ-5D-L scores were lower in our participants than in the sex- and age-matched Japanese population. Unplanned admission was an independent risk factor for more severe PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Approximately one-third of patients in the general ICU population experienced mental health issues one year after ICU discharge. Unplanned admission was an independent predictor for more severe PTSD symptoms.

Returning to work is a serious issue that affects patients who are discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aimed to clarify the employment status and the perceived household financial status of ICU patients 12 months following ICU discharge. Additionally, we evaluated whether there exists an association between depressive symptoms and subsequent unemployment status. This study was a subgroup analysis of the published Survey of Multicenter Assessment with Postal questionnaire for Post-Intensive Care Syndrome for Home Living Patients (the SMAP-HoPe study) in Japan. Eligible patients were those who were employed before ICU admission, stayed in the ICU for at least three nights between October 2019 and July 2020, and lived at home for 12 months after discharge. We assessed the employment status, subjective cognitive functions, household financial status, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and EuroQOL-5 dimensions of physical function at 12 months following intensive care. This study included 328 patients, with a median age of 64 (interquartile range [IQR], 52-72) years. Of these, 79 (24%) were unemployed 12 months after ICU discharge. The number of patients who reported worsened financial status was significantly higher in the unemployed group (p<0.01) than in the employed group. Multivariable analysis showed that higher age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.08]) and greater severity of depressive symptoms (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.05-1.23]) were independent factors for unemployment status at 12 months after ICU discharge. We found that 24.1% of our patients who had been employed prior to ICU admission were subsequently unemployed following ICU discharge and that depressive symptoms were associated with unemployment status. The government and the local municipalities should provide medical and financial support to such patients. Additionally, community and workplace support for such patients are warranted.

Appetite loss, a common but serious issue in older patients, is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia, which is associated with high mortality. However, few studies have explored the phenomenon of appetite loss after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, we aimed to describe the prevalence of appetite loss and relationship between appetite loss and depression in patients living at home 12 months after intensive care. This study involved secondary analysis of data obtained from a published ambidirectional study examining post-intensive care syndrome 12 months after discharge (SMAP-HoPe study) conducted in 12 ICUs in Japan. We included patients aged > 65 years. The Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were used for the analysis. Descriptive statistics and a multilevel generalized linear model were used to clarify the relationship between appetite loss and depression. Data from 468 patients were analyzed. The prevalence of appetite loss was 25.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.5–29.4). High severity of depression was associated with a high probability of appetite loss (odds ratio, 1.2; 95%CI, 1.14–1.28; p = 0.00). Poor appetite is common 12 months after intensive care and is associated with the severity of depression.

Aim This study aimed to translate the TeamSTEPPS® Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T‐TPQ) into Japanese and assess its validity and reliability. Design Translation of the T‐TPQ and a cross‐sectional survey. Methods Following a forward and back translation of the questionnaire, content validity was assessed by an expert panel using item‐level content validity index. Construct validity was assessed by a confirmatory factor analysis. Further, intraclass correlation coefficient was estimated by test–retest methods. Results A total of 587 healthcare professionals responded to the translated T‐TPQ. The item‐level content validity index ranged between 0.8 and 1.0, indicating an acceptable content validity. The multiple fit indices showed an acceptable fitting model. Fifty‐one healthcare professionals participated in the test–retest method. Intraclass correlation coefficients for all dimensions ranged from 0.838 to 0.957, indicating acceptable test–retest reliability. Our findings suggest that the Japanese version of the T‐TPQ has acceptable validity and reliability.

Caring for lightly sedated intubated patients increases caregiver workload. Therefore, providing light sedation to intubated patients may depend on nursing experience. We retrospectively investigated the association between conversion from light to deep sedation and nursing experience in intensive care units (ICUs) with a 1 : 2 nurse-to-patient ratio. It was a historical cohort study performed in ICUs in a university hospital. One hundred and eighty-four patients requiring more than 72 hours of mechanical ventilation after ICU admission were analyzed. To avoid channeling bias, propensity score analysis was used to generate a set of matched cases (managed by trainee nurses) and controls (managed by experienced nurses), yielding 72 matched patient pairs. Primary (change from light to deep sedation) and secondary outcomes (sedation level after light sedation cancelation, ICU stay, and intubation duration) were compared. Conversion from light to deep sedation was equally preferred by trainee nurses, with conversion rates of > 70% regardless of matching procedure (P = 0.663). Deeper sedation was preferred by experienced nurses (P = 0.025). Management by experienced nurses significantly prolonged ICU stay (16.3 vs. 21.4, P = 0.033). Additional multivariable logistic regression revealed that visual disturbance (OR [95% CI] = 4.3 [1.4-13.3], P = 0.012), Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) (OR [95% CI] = 2.2 [1.7-2.9], P < 0.0001), and dexmedetomidine dose 48 h post-ICU admission (OR [95% CI] = 0.81 [0.69-0.96], P = 0.016) were independently associated with giving up light sedation. Conversion from light to deep sedation was preferred in > 70% of mechanically ventilated patients in ICUs with a 1 : 2 nurse-to-patient ratio. Rates of sedation level changes for managing mechanically ventilated patients were similar between trainee and experienced nurses. However, experienced nurses preferred significantly deeper sedation than trainee nurses.

Returning to work is a serious issue that affects patients who are discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aimed to clarify the employment status and the perceived household financial status of ICU patients 12 months following ICU discharge. Additionally, we evaluated whether there exists an association between depressive symptoms and subsequent unemployment status. This study was a subgroup analysis of the published Survey of Multicenter Assessment with Postal questionnaire for Post-Intensive Care Syndrome for Home Living Patients (the SMAP-HoPe study) in Japan. Eligible patients were those who were employed before ICU admission, stayed in the ICU for at least three nights between October 2019 and July 2020, and lived at home for 12 months after discharge. We assessed the employment status, subjective cognitive functions, household financial status, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and EuroQOL-5 dimensions of physical function at 12 months following intensive care. This study included 328 patients, with a median age of 64 (interquartile range [IQR], 52-72) years. Of these, 79 (24%) were unemployed 12 months after ICU discharge. The number of patients who reported worsened financial status was significantly higher in the unemployed group (p<0.01) than in the employed group. Multivariable analysis showed that higher age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.08]) and greater severity of depressive symptoms (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.05-1.23]) were independent factors for unemployment status at 12 months after ICU discharge. We found that 24.1% of our patients who had been employed prior to ICU admission were subsequently unemployed following ICU discharge and that depressive symptoms were associated with unemployment status. The government and the local municipalities should provide medical and financial support to such patients. Additionally, community and workplace support for such patients are warranted.