Spotting those patients at highest risk for post-stroke depression may be crucial “for rapid intervention and better outcomes,” she added.
Stein agreed. “Our current findings highlight the need for active screening and treatment for depression in the time period immediately and well after the stroke, and the importance of screening all stroke patients for post-stroke depression, including women and those with a history of mental illness,” she said.
Dr. Andrew Rogove directs stroke services at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y. He offered up one caveat to the study, noting that “the population studied was over 65 years old. It would be interesting to see the rates of post-stroke depression in a younger population and to assess whether there are gender differences in the frequency of post-stroke depression in this population.”
Because the findings are to be presented at a medical meeting, they should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has more on depression after stroke.
