Assessment of Quality of Life and Incidence of Depression in Post Stroke Patients

Abstract

Depression is a common illness worldwide. Social, psychological and biological factors can lead to depression. Chronic illness among the elderly is a significant reason affecting mental health. Often it is not diagnosed correctly. An observational study was conducted to assess the quality of life and the incidence of depression in post-stroke patients. Subjects were recruited to the study by investigations during ward/OP visits. The subjects were briefed about the study, and informed consent was obtained. Data were collected using various study tools and analyzed statistically by computing proportion for all qualitative data and mean, standard deviation, median, the interquartile range for quantitative data. A total of 50 subjects were enrolled in the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Severe cognitive impairment was revealed in 14% of the patients. The burden of depression and severity was evaluated using Patient health questionnaire-9 and Hamilton depression scale, respectively. It was found that 22 subjects (44%) had moderate depression, while 2 (4%) had severe depression. The functionality of the subjects was measured and found that 18% of subjects were 'dependent' on their caregiver. SSQOL assessment showed the lowest score in the domains 'work & productivity' and 'energy". As much as treating the etiological factors of stroke, dealing with the mental aspect of stroke is necessary. Assessing and treating post-stroke depression is essential to reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients. Hence, early assessment and management of mental health after stroke is necessary to prevent a chance of developing another stroke.