Depression Level Among Elderly Patients With Stroke At Zagazig University Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Post stroke depression (PSD) is one of the unresolved issues in recovery and rehabilitation of the stroke patients. It has been considered the most common neuropsychiatric consequence of stroke. Depression may either directly or indirectly lead to more significant impairments in daily activities. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assessdepression level among elderly patients with stroke at Zagazig University hospitals. Subjects and Methods; Research design: Descriptive design. Setting: The study was conducted Zagazig university hospitals at three settings; stroke unit, physical medicine and rehabilitation department, and outpatient neurology clinic Subjects: A Purposive sampling technique was included 100 elderly patients with stroke. Tools of data collection: Two tools were used interview with elderly and questionnaire to collect demographic characteristics of the studied elderly and the geriatric depression scale. Results: 47% of studied elderly had severe depression while, 43% of them had mild depression and only 19% of them didn`t have depression. Also, there is only a statistically significant association between the studied elderly`s depression level and their education (P = .046). Conclusion: It was concluded that half of the participants exhibited severe depressive symptoms, while more than one third displayed mild depressive symptoms. These statistics underscore the significance ofaddressing mental health issues among the elderly population, particularly the high occurrence of severe depression. Recommendation: Educational program about improving psychological status of elderly patient with stroke