title: The Effect of a Brief Intervention for Patients with Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression and anxiety are common after stroke. There is inconclusive evidence of the benefit of psychotherapy for poststroke depression and anxiety. Here, we used a brief intervention, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) brief therapy plus health education, to evaluate the changes in patients with ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighty patients were randomly allocated to receive 4 sessions of NLP plus health education (n = 90) or usual care (n = 90). A set of questionnaires was used preintervention and postintervention as well as at the 6-month follow-up. The primary outcomes were the prevalence of depression and anxiety, and the awareness of stroke knowledge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More patients in the intervention group achieved remission of depressive (odds ratio [OR], 2.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-5.59) and anxious symptoms (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.15-4.18) after intervention. At the 6-month follow-up, we found no differences between groups in both the prevalence of depression and anxiety. After intervention, the intervention group had better awareness rates on most of the stroke knowledge items (P < .05). It also had better quality of life and physical function both after intervention and at the follow-up (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NLP plus health education could reduce depression and anxiety immediately after intervention, but not at the 6-month follow-up. The intervention could also improve the awareness of stroke knowledge and benefit patients on quality of life and physical function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Personnel Department of The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Yuehua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Weiquan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jincong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Dongming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jinzhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Electronic address: wzzh@mails.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zengzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Ischemic stroke; Neuro-Linguistic Programming; health education; randomized-controlled trial