Article

Psychological problems are common complications following stroke and
have an impact on all aspects of recovery. This article investigates levels of
psychological distress in patients during hospital admission and after discharge
into the community. Early detection and review of poststroke psychological
problems may optimize recovery from stroke as recommended in the national stroke
guideline. Currently, there are very few follow-up investigations on poststroke
mood disorders available that could inform clinical practice. METHOD:
Psychological symptoms were defined as poststroke anxiety and depression and were
measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Revised cutoff
scores for this clinical group were applied. Seventy-seven stroke patients were
assessed in the hospital. Forty-two patients from this sample were reassessed
after their discharge into the community. RESULTS: Patients in the hospital
sample presented with mean anxiety and depression scores above the recommended
cutoff for stroke. Far more than 50% of male and female patients presented with
heightened psychological distress. Psychological symptoms were slightly less
intense and less frequent in the follow-up after discharge sample. The
differences between the HADS outcomes of hospitalized and community patients were
nonsignificant but remained beyond cutoff for more than 50% of follow-up
patients. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of mood assessments for
all stroke patients. The percentage of patients with residual psychological
problems was lower than that reported in the literature. However, it is highly
recommended for those patients with chronic poststroke psychological distress to
have access to specialist psychological interventions.

Langue : ANGLAIS