Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2008 , Vol 54 , Num 3

The Association Between Functional Status, Health Related Quality of Life and Depression After Stroke

1 ,Neslihan Soran 2 ,Ahmet Demirkol 2 ,Mehmet Yaşar Özkul 3
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2 Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Şanlıurfa
3 Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroloji Anabilim Dalı, Şanlıurfa

Objective: Stroke is a major cause of disability, and assessment of quality of life is important in patients after suffering a stroke. Psychological disorders may be associated with poor quality of life and lower functional status after stroke. The objective of the study was to determine the relation between health-related quality of life, functional status, and depressive symptoms in stroke patients. 
 

Materials and Methods: Subjects consisted of fourty patients who were being treated in the rehabilitation program in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harran University Research Hospital. Health-related quality of life was assessed using Short Form 36 (SF-36), functional status using the Stroke Adapted Sickness Impact Profile (SA-SIP), and depressive symptoms using Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI).
 

Results: BDI scores were negatively correlated with physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, emotional problems, and mental health subscales of SF-36 (p=0.002, r=-0.474; p=0.008, r=-0.417; p=0.01, r=-0.369; p=0.03, r=-0.369, respectively). Furthermore, BDI scores were positively correlated with Communication, Ambulation, and Emotional Behavior subscale scores of SA-SIP (p=0.03, r=0.347; p=0.002, r=0.483; p=0.001, r=0.502, respectively).
 

Conclusion: Depressive symptoms are common, and the severity of depression may be related to poor functional status and quality of life in stroke patients. Assessment, recognition and management of depression may facilitate the participation of stroke patients in rehabilitation programs. 

Keywords : Stroke, depression, quality of life