title: Is fatigue associated with suicidality in stroke?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between poststroke fatigue and suicidality (SI) in Chinese patients with first or recurrent stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute stroke unit of a general hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with acute ischemic stroke (N=595) admitted to the acute stroke unit of a university-affiliated regional hospital in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  SI was assessed with the Geriatric Mental State Examination at 3 months after the subjects' index stroke. Fatigue was evaluated using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The association between the mean FSS score and SI was examined and adjusted for potential confounders, including age, sex, marital status, previous stroke, depression, Mini-Mental State Examination score, and neurologic deficits in terms of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-six (12.8%) of the patients had SI (the SI group). The FSS score was significantly higher in the SI group (4.0±1.4 vs 2.8±1.2). The FSS score remained a significant predictor of SI in the subsequent forward logistic regression (odds ratio=1.5), adjusting for the possible confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings should alert clinicians that early identification and treatment of fatigue may reduce the suicidal risk in stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. tangwk@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Wai-Kwong
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jin-Yan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mok
authors.forename: Gabor S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.forename: Ka-Sing
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation