Abstract
Goal:
Depression and anxiety are important complications of stroke but are
underdiagnosed in community settings. The current study identified which
patients were at increased risk of developing either disorder more
than1 year poststroke to assist in targeted screening.
Methods:
Crosssectional survey of 147 adults who had a stroke more than 1 year
ago were recruited from stroke advocacy/support groups and an outpatient
register. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression
Scale (HADS) and reported whether they had emotional problems as a
stroke inpatient (single item: yes/no). Standardized self-report
measures evaluated medical (physical independence, health-related
quality of life), cognitive (memory, executive functioning), and
psychological (social support) variables. Demographic and stroke-related
(stroke type, year) information were also recorded.
Findings:
Between 53% and 80% of respondents (n = 117) screened positive for
depressed mood and/or anxiety (HADS subscale cut-offs: ≥8 or ≥4).
Logistic regression analyses indicated that stroke survivors who
reported having emotional problems as inpatients (odds ratio [OR]:
0.23), were female (OR: 3.42), and had poor health-related quality of
life (OR: 0.45-0.53) and cognitive problems (OR: 0.68-0.74), were more
likely to screen positive for either disorder. Models based on these
variables predicted screening outcomes with 91% accuracy.
Conclusions:
Community-based stroke survivors who reported experiencing emotional
problems as inpatients, were female, or had poor health-related quality
of life (chronic pain, disturbed sleep, communication difficulties)
and/or cognitive issues were at greater risk of being depressed/anxious.
Targeted screening of these patients may help to identify those who are
most in need of more comprehensive clinical assessments and
evidence-based interventions.
To access this article, please choose from the options below
Purchase access to this article
,
Correspondence information about the author PhD Candidate David J. Unsworth
Email the author PhD Candidate David J. Unsworth
No comments:
Post a Comment