Most often, when we think about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we conjure images of soldiers who have experienced the horrors of combat. But new research in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reports that PTSD is also common among family members after a loved one’s stay in an intensive care unit.

In fact, if you’re caring for a chronically ill family member, especially one who has been in intensive care, you’re at risk for experiencing the anxiety and depression of PTSD for up to 6 months. Feelings of complicated grief can linger even longer.

“Our findings suggest that family members of patients in the intensive care unit are at risk for serious psychological disorders that may require treatment,” says Cindy L. Bryce, PhD, associate professor of medicine and health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Bryce calls the screening of family members for PTSD after critical care hospitalizations of their loved ones critical.

Surprisingly, whether your hospitalized family member recovered has little (if any) effect on the stress you may be experiencing from the event. If you’re caring for someone with a serious illness or have a loved one in a critical care unit, talk with your healthcare provider to see if you’re at risk for PTSD