Abstract

Purpose: - The need to routinely screen stroke survivors for post-stroke depression (PSD) was examined in this study.

Relevance: Most clinicians hardly screen stroke patients for post-stroke depression (PSD) which impedes rehabilitation when it is undetected and untreated.

Participants/Subjects: Fifty patients (22 females and 28 males) at the out-patient unit of Physiotherapy Department, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) who gave their informed consent were randomly selected from the patients that had current appointments, and met the selection criteria,. Their age range and mean age were 26 – 66 years, and 54.76 ± 8.79 years, respectively

Method: - This study utilized ex-post facto research design. Patients were assessed with Becks Depression Inventory (BDI), the Mini Mental Status Examination tool (for cognition), and Modified Motor Assessment Scale (for motor function). The tests were performed independently by the patients except otherwise stated, and scored on a scale of 0-6. The psychiatrist would request them to withdraw from the test when they become emotionally labile. Data were analyzed using Z-test for proportional significance and Chi-square test to determine relationship between variables, with alpha set at 0.05.

Results: - Analysis of the data show that PSD was present in 42% of the patients, and was significantly dependent on duration of stroke (x² = 21.680, df = 6, p = 0.001), but not dependent on other socio-demographic and anatomic/clinical variables (p>0.05).

Conclusions: PSD is common in stroke survivors, and is dependent on duration of stroke

Implications: The results suggest the need to make screening for PSD a standard routine for stroke survivors. It further highlights the importance of instituting early psychiatry intervention before depression sets in and impedes rehabilitation.

Keywords: Stroke, screening, post-stroke depression