title: Anxiety symptoms in spouses of stroke patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate prevalence rates of anxiety symptoms in stroke patients' spouses and associated factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 114 couples upon the patients' admission for rehabilitation as well as 1 year later and analysed with linear regression analyses. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to assess anxiety symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a high prevalence of anxiety symptoms at both time points of 28.9 and 27.6%. An association was found between spouses' anxiety symptoms at both time points and their gender as well as spouses' anxiety symptoms (at time 2) and patients' perceived disability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-stroke rehabilitation process should include a focus on treating anxiety symptoms in patients' spouses in order to prevent the development of stress-related disorders in this group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. gabriele.wilz@gp.tu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilz
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalytta
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation