ABSTRACT
The reported prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in an intensive Care Unit in Saudi Arabia was found to be 18%. The commonest reactions were anxiety, somatoform and depressive disorders. Demographic characteristics, history of medical and psychiatric disorders were evaluated as predictors of psychological hazards. Data revealed that patients with psychiatric symptoms stayed for a significantly longer time in the ICU. They were exposed to more frequent procedures, they obtained higher scores in neuroticism, depressive traits and they expressed higher intensity of manifest anxiety and depression than did the controls. The results of the study suggest that the patient's vulnerability, personality traits and psychological makeup are important determinants of psychiatric morbidity than the ICU environment perse