Psychologist joins intensive care team
Intensive care units employ some of the most high-tech equipment available in hospitals while Hannah Mollitor uses her mind to help patients.
The clinical psychologist is part of a strong multi-disciplinary team treating the most critically ill patients at Ealing and Northwick Park hospitals.
Hannah is the units’ first full-time psychologist reflecting a growing national trend as the pandemic highlighted the need for better mental health and wellbeing support for staff, intensive care patients and their families.
She works closely with medical staff and Allied Health Professionals assessing patients and offering interventions when they are distressed or disorientated as well as providing support to their families and staff.
Hannah said: “Admission to ICU can often be traumatic for an individual, especially if they suddenly fall ill.
“Patients often wake up with no idea of where they are or how they got there. They are, or have recently been, sedated and find themselves connected to an array of equipment with various tubes coming in and out of their body.
“People can feel trapped particularly if they have been going about their daily lives and are unexpectedly hospitalised. They can feel overwhelmed, noticing the sudden change and adjustments they are facing, and angry about what they perceive as an unfair situation.
“These experiences - being anxious, confused and scared - can hinder a patient’s recovery as they can become barriers to rehabilitation and can be one of the factors in prolonging inpatient stays.”
Research shows that the quicker rehabilitation begins, the better the long-term outcomes. In addition, research shows that distress that begins in the ICU can affect the patient when they return home.
Hannah added: “I observe, listen and talk to patients helping them understand what has happened, where they are, and talk about how they are feeling. I also advise colleagues about managing this distress. It can be emotionally challenging but it is also rewarding.”
Hannah feeds her observations into the multi-disciplinary team meetings where clinical staff pool their knowledge and recommendations to decide what is best for a patient.
She will sometimes follow the patient pathway when individual’s condition improves and they are moved into step down units.
Hannah said: “People have more time to reflect when they are moved out of ICU and their condition improves. They can struggle with anxiety and low mood because they then move into a physically and mentally challenging place that they have more awareness of.
“Family members have an important role to play in their recovery but can face their own anxiety and trauma, so I will work with them as well if they need support.”
A second psychologist is due to join the team before Christmas which Hannah sees as a step in the right direction.
“It is argued that mental health has never been given the same importance as physical health but they strongly influence one another. Attitudes are changing and I am looking forward to developing the service.”