Ammara Butt, Mariam Iftikhar, Farasat Ali Dogar, Aamir Hamid.
Evaluation of Depression and its Contributing Factors in patients after Stroke.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;12(2):874-7.

Background: Post stroke depression is a common complication following stroke whose prevalence varies over time. It has been suggested that predictors of psychological distress are severity of stroke, impaired cognition, loss of functional independence or inability to work and loneliness . The rationale of the current study is to determine the frequency of depression in stroke patients and the factors contributing to it, so that early diagnosis and intervention can be done to prevent further morbidity. Aim: To determine the frequency of depression in patients after stroke and the frequency of factors contributing to depression in patients after stroke. Methods: A cross sectional study, the Outdoor of Neurology department, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore.Within 6 months after approval of synopsis i.e. from 18th of June, 2015 till 12th December 2015.Three hundred stroke patients were assessed by Hospital anxiety and depression scale for depression . For assessing impaired cognition, Mini Mental State Examination was applied, for assessing impairment in daily activities Barthel index and to assess stroke severity, Glasgow Coma Scale was applied. Results: The results revealed that 30.7% patients suffer from depression after stroke and is significantly associated with the contributing factors. Out of total patients, 20.3% had impaired cognition, 40.7% had severe stroke and 31.9% had inability to carry out daily activities. The demographic factors assessed showed that they do modify the effects of contributing factors on depression. Conclusion: Depression occurred in 30.7% of patients after stroke and was significantly associated with the contributing factors. The effect modifiers were not association with depression and its contributing factors, except age which was only significantly associated with impairment in daily activities.

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