Post-stroke depression is common after a stroke with up to 43% of stroke survivors (SS) meeting diagnostic criteria for major or minor depression and has been shown to increase hospital length of stay, increase cognitive impairment, inhibit participation in physical and occupational therapy, increase mortality, and be extremely burdensome to the stroke survivor's primary informal caregiver (CG). Post-stroke depression is under diagnosed and under treated and one reason for this is misinterpretation of depressive symptoms by the SS and/or CG. This descriptive cross-sectional, correlational study will examine the congruence between CGs' and SSs' recognition and interpretation of depressive symptoms in the sub-acute recovery period (3-6 months post stroke) as they relate to symptom reporting to the healthcare provider and explore how factors in the caregiving context may influence assessment of depressive symptoms. A non-random sample of 60 SS/CG dyads will be recruited from a University hospital and rehabilitation center. SSs and CGs will be interviewed in the SS's home using an adapted version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, the CES-D, and questions about reporting practices. The results of this work will provide valuable data on SSs' and CGs' perceptions of depressive symptoms and symptom reporting practices which may aid nurses to improve education and design effective interventions to increase reporting of post-stroke depressive symptoms, which could facilitate stroke recovery and decrease caregiver burden.
| Klinedinst, N Jennifer; Clark, Patricia C; Dunbar, Sandra B (2013) Older adult stroke survivors discussing poststroke depressive symptoms with a healthcare provider: a preliminary analysis. Rehabil Psychol 58:263-71 |
| Klinedinst, N Jennifer; Dunbar, Sandra B; Clark, Patricia C (2012) Stroke survivor and informal caregiver perceptions of poststroke depressive symptoms. J Neurosci Nurs 44:72-81 |
