Long-term depressive symptoms and anxiety after transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke in young adults.
Few studies exist on long-term post-stroke depressive symptoms and anxiety in young adults, although these young patients have a particular interest in their long-term prognosis, given their usually long life expectancy and being in the midst of an active social, working and family life. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety and their association with clinical and demographic variables and with functional outcome after stroke in young adults.



Long-term prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety was calculated in 511 patients with a transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke, aged 18-50 years, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, compared with 147 controls. Functional outcome was assessed with the modified Rankin Score (mRS) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (IADL). 16.8% of patients had depressive symptoms and 23.0% had anxiety, versus 6.1% (P = 0.001) and 12.2% (P < 0.001) in controls. In ischaemic stroke patients, depressive symptoms and anxiety were associated with poor functional outcome (mRS > 2 or IADL < 8).



Even a decade after stroke at young age, depressive symptoms and anxiety were prevalent and associated with poor functional outcome. Therefore, even in the long term, treating physicians should be aware of the long-term presence of these symptoms as their recognition may be the first step in improving long-term functional independence.
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Maaijwee
Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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I
Tendolkar
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
L C A
LC
Rutten-Jacobs
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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RM
Arntz
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Schaapsmeerders
Department of Neurology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
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LD
Dorresteijn
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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HC
Schoonderwaldt
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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EJ
van Dijk
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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de Leeuw
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
anxiety; depressive symptoms; prognosis; stroke in young adults