Anxiety and depression 3 years following stroke: demographic, clinical, and psychological predictors.
OBJECTIVE
Our earlier work had established that moderate depression significantly decreased over the first 6 months after stroke, whereas anxiety levels remained moderate but stable. This study examines the factors predictive of anxiety and depression to 3 years.


METHODS
Patients were assessed on six occasions: on hospital admission, 10-20 days following admission, 1 and 6 months following discharge, and 1 and 3 years poststroke, with 38 of the original sample of 101 taking part at Year 3. Demographic and clinical variables, disability, handicap, and psychological measures were used to predict 3-year anxiety and depression, controlling for earlier levels of anxiety or depression.


RESULTS
Multiple regression analyses of anxiety at 3 years, controlling for gender and previous anxiety, demonstrated that neither of the significant partial correlates of 6-month depression or satisfaction with treatment persisted. Gender effects persisted when controlling for previous anxiety. Multiple regression analyses of depression at 3 years, controlling for early depression, found that exercise, treatment satisfaction, anxiety, and handicap added significantly to the prediction of lower depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Anxiety remains stable over 3 years poststroke and is best explained by prior, early, anxiety, and female gender. Depression reduces over time and was explained by modifiable cognitions and behaviours, which replicates previous findings.
Morrison
Val
V
School of Psychology, University of Wales, Bangor, UK. v.morrison@bangor.ac.uk
Pollard
Beth
B
Johnston
Marie
M
MacWalter
Ron
R
D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*