en Nursing Orginal research <span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Background:</span></i></b></span><span style="color:#000066;"> </span><span new="" roman="" times="">Identifying and meeting the psycho-social needs of family members of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is an undeniable necessity and priority for nurses</span><span new="" roman="" times="">. </span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><b><i><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:#2980b9;">Objectives:</span> </span></i></b><span new="" roman="" times="">The present study was conducted to determine the effect of a need-based educational program on anxiety and depression of families of patients admitted to the ICU.</span></span></span><br> <span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Methods:</i></b></span><span style="color:black"> In this quasi-experimental study, a telephone-supported need-based educational program was conducted on 88 family members of patients admitted to the ICU wards of educational hospitals in the city of Zanjan. A demographic information questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 software and the Wilcoxon statistical test.</span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Results</span></i><span new="" roman="" times="">:</span></b></span><span new="" roman="" times=""> The findings indicated that the majority of the investigated patients were male (51.1%) and married (89.8%), with a mean age of 50.3&plusmn;15 years. Most of the investigated family members were the patients&rsquo; spouses, with a mean age of 46.2&plusmn;10.7 years, and had a diploma and university education (71.6%). The needs of family members included the need for assurance (3.24&plusmn;0.5), the need for proximity (3.22&plusmn;0.55), the need for information (3.11&plusmn;0.49), the need for comfort (2.52&plusmn;0.67), and the need for support (2.16&plusmn;0.68), respectively. The levels of anxiety and depression significantly reduced after the intervention (P<0.0001).</span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Conclusion:</span></i></b></span><span new="" roman="" times=""> Based on the study results, it is recommended to use a need-based educational program to reduce anxiety and depression of family members of patients admitted to the ICU.</span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><b><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></i></b></span></span><br> &nbsp;</span></span></span> Educational Program, Educational Needs, Family, Anxiety, Depression, Intensive Care Unit 19 29 http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-866-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Zahra Hajikhani zhajikhani0011@gmail.com 100319475328460013914 100319475328460013914 No MSc in Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Soheila Rabie Siahkali rabie2@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460013915 100319475328460013915 Yes Department of Operating Room and Anaesthesiology, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Zeinab Ghahremani 100319475328460013916 100319475328460013916 No Department of Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran