The Relationship Between the Anxiety Levels of Relatives of Patients in Intensive Care Units and Perceived Respect From Healthcare Professionals

Background: When relatives of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) perceive themselves to be respected, this may help prevent feelings of loneliness, guilt, and anger, thereby reducing the level of anxiety they experience. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the anxiety levels of relatives of patients in ICUs and their perceived respect from healthcare professionals, and to determine the predictive effect of perceived respect on anxiety. Methods: This study, which was designed to be descriptive, correlational, and predictive, was conducted in the adult ICUs of an educational and research hospital in Türkiye. The study sample consisted of 300 relatives of patients receiving treatment in the ICUs. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form developed to determine participants’ characteristics, the ICU‐Respect Index (ICU‐Respect) to assess the level of respect perceived by relatives of patients from healthcare professionals, and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI‐S) to evaluate anxiety levels. Results: The mean ICU‐Respect score of the participants was 39.38 ± 1.32, while the mean STAI‐S score was 43.39 ± 18.22. The correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant, moderate negative relationship between the scales ( r = −0.449, p ≤ 0.001). According to the results of the regression analysis, the level of perceived respect was found to be a significant predictor of anxiety ( β = −0.491, p ≤ 0.001), and the model explained 24% of the total variance ( R 2 = 0.241). Conclusions: It was determined that as the level of respect perceived by relatives of patients in ICUs increased, their state anxiety levels significantly decreased. This finding suggests that if healthcare professionals use respect‐based communication approaches in combination with family‐centered care principles, then this may be effective in reducing psychological distress among the relatives of patients. It is recommended that healthcare professionals develop an empathetic and respectful communication style that addresses the emotional needs of the relatives of patients.