Prevalence, awareness, and treatment of depression among community-dwelling stroke survivors in Korea

Abstract

Post-stroke depression (PSD), a prevalent complication of stroke, causes poor outcomes. However, little is known about its prevalence and management among community-dwelling stroke survivors. Thus, we investigated the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of PSD in a community setting. A cross-sectional study was performed using representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Surveys 2014, 2016, and 2018. A total of 11,122 participants aged ≥ 40 years were categorized, including 343 stroke survivors and 10,779 non-stroke survivors. We then calculated and compared the prevalence, awareness (formal diagnosis of depression by a doctor), and treatment rates of depression between the two groups. Depression was defined as a score ≥ 10 in the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Depression was significantly more prevalent among stroke survivors than in non-stroke survivors (22.2% vs. 8.5%, respectively), while the differences in the awareness and treatment rates were insignificant. However, only 46.8% of stroke survivors with PSD were aware of their condition, and only 20.5% were receiving treatment. These results suggest that clinicians should more actively screen for and treat depression among stroke survivors.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of poststroke depression among patients with poststroke depression and their family members in Heilongjiang Province, China: a cross-sectional study

“…Previous studies have also reported similar findings of inadequate awareness and knowledge regarding PSD treatment among stroke survivors, as well as their family caregivers. 26 27 Therefore, developing educational interventions for stroke survivors, family caregivers and healthcare professionals on PSD treatment options and engaging in patient-centred communication to dispel misconceptions were crucial to address the issue of low awareness of treatment risks and benefits.…”

Stroke, depression, and self-harm in later life

“…The discrepancy between the reported proportion of stroke survivors affected by clinically significant symptoms of depression and those who receive treatment is striking and raises questions about the validity of the approach most studies use to define depression (i.e., specific cut-points of various depression scales) or, alternatively, about the poor sensitivity of health professionals to identify stroke survivors with depression. A recent study of 343 stroke survivors living in Korea showed that less than half of those with depression were aware of their clinical status, and only 20% of these were receiving antidepressant treatment [9].…”

Depression among Patients with an Implanted Left Ventricular Assist Device: Uncovering Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Implications for Patient Care

“…A high percentage of stroke survivors develop clinical depression, with estimates ranging between 20 to 75% of patients [31,140,141], especially among females [141]. Although the pathophysiology of post-stroke depression is not completely understood, some contributing brain changes have been described.…”