Change in positive emotion and recovery of functional status following stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate change in positive emotion over a 3-month follow-up period and determine whether this change is associated with recovery of functional status in persons with stroke.


METHODS
A longitudinal study using information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Patients (SRUP) database. Positive emotion and functional status were assessed within 72 hours of discharge from an in-patient medical rehabilitation facility and at 3-month follow-up using established measurement instruments.


METHODS
The study included 840 adults 55 years old or older with a first-time stroke and admitted to one of eleven in-patient medical rehabilitation facilities in the United States.


RESULTS
The mean age was 72.9 (SD = 9.52) years, 78.6% were non-Hispanic white and 51.7% were women. The average length of stay was 20.2 (SD =10.1) days and the most prevalent type of stroke was ischemic (75.0%). Positive emotion increased for 35.6% of the sample, decreased for 29.2%, and 35.2% reported no change. Increases in positive emotion change score compared to no change (b = -3.2, SE = 1.5, p = .032) or a decline (b = -8.9, SE = 1.4, p = or <.001) was significantly associated with improved functional status at the 3-month follow-up after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables as well as depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive emotion is a dynamic process and can change over time. In persons with stroke, increases in positive emotion over a 3-month period was significantly associated with an increasing likelihood of recovery of functional status compared to no change or a decline in positive emotion. Understanding factors that influence both increases and decreases in positive emotion has implications for stroke rehabilitation programming and quality of life post-hospital discharge.
Seale
Gary S
GS
Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch.
Berges
Ivonne-Marie
IM
Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch.
Ottenbacher
Kenneth J
KJ
0000-0001-5990-3982
Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch.
Ostir
Glenn V
GV
Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch.
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology