Patients who developed post-stroke depression 3 to 24 months after
hospital discharge (N = 21) were compared with patients who developed
depression during hospitalization (N = 26) and patients who never developed
depression over 24 months of follow-up (N = 15). During the acute
hospitalization and at follow-up, the three groups were not significantly
different in their demographic characteristics, neurological impairment,
intellectual impairment, or quality of social support. The acute depression
group, however, showed an increased correlation between impairment and
depression from hospitalization to follow-up. Findings suggest that
impairment does not produce depression, but, once depression occurs, it may
interact with impairment to influence post-stroke recovery.Abstract Teaser