title: Fear of falling among people who have sustained a stroke: a 6-month longitudinal pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fear of falling (FoF) after stroke is not well understood. We assessed change in FoF over the first 6 mo after a stroke and compared 6-mo anxiety, depression, balance, and quality of life (QoL) scores between people with and without baseline FoF (at the time of hospital discharge).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this longitudinal study were collected at baseline and 6 mo. Of the 28 people included at baseline, 18 remained in the study 6 mo later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FoF significantly decreased over time (p = .015). Participants with baseline FoF had higher 6-mo anxiety and depression scores (s = .002 and .005, respectively) and lower QoL scores (p < .001) than did those without baseline FoF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are suggestive of the need for occupational therapists and their colleagues to consider anxiety and depression variables in managing the needs of poststroke participants experiencing FoF.
authors.affiliation: Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Health Services Research and Development Center on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, 1481 West 10th Street, 11H, Indianapolis, IN, USA. arlene.schmid@va.gov
authors.forename: Arlene A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Puymbroeck
authors.forename: Kasie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knies
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spangler-Morris
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Damush
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D004856:Postural Balance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation