title: Quality of life of the spouses of stroke patients: a preliminary study.
abstract: To study the global quality of life (QOL) of spouses of chronic stroke patients, and to determine its most pertinent factors, we assessed nine stroke patients and their spouses, using the Barthel index, the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI), and a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS) to evaluate spouses' QOL. Correlation analysis was performed with the Spearman rank correlation analysis. Mean age of spouses was 53.6 +/- 11.3 years (male:female ratio, 8:1). The mean interval from stroke was 17.6 +/- 10.6 months. The spouses' median QOL score was 4.9, with a significant correlation between spouses' QOL scores and patients Barthel index scores, FIM global scores, and FIM locomotion scores. Spouses complained of the physical burden, but psychological, social, economic and marital consequences of the stroke were also reported. This study confirms the constant impact of stroke on the QOL of the spouses, and demonstrates the role of patients' physical disability. However, the VAS allows only a global approach. A self-administered composite index, exploring the consequences of the stroke on the spouses' daily life, would be a useful complement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-GIP Exercise, CHU Bellevue Hospital, Jean Monnet University, Saint Etienne, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Béthoux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calmels
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gautheron
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minaire
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric