Group meetings after critical illness—Giving and receiving strength

Abstract Introduction An increasing number of intensive care patients are surviving critical illness, but many develop mental, cognitive and physical impairments after discharge. Adapting to a new life situation, often with major challenges, implies the need of support. Therefore, it is important to develop interventions aimed at promoting recovery. Objective The aim was to describe former intensive care patients' feelings of sharing their experience of critical illness with other former patients. Method Former intensive care patients (n = 17) participated in group meetings and wrote about their thoughts in a notebook after each group meeting. To deepen the understanding of the former patients’ experience 11 of the former patients were interviewed. The notes in the notebooks and the interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings Meeting others revealed to the former patients new dimensions of being critically ill, and they both gave and received strength from each other. The meetings were meaningful as they gained insight into other patients’ lives, and realised what it meant to survive intensive care. Conclusions The group meetings meant sharing experiences and understanding the process of survival after critical illness. Giving and receiving strength from others helped the participants to go further.