article · Discover Public Health
A health facility-based study investigated psychological challenges among 422 post-stroke patients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Depressive symptoms affected 67.8 percent of patients, while anxiety affected 58.8 percent and stress affected 41.2 percent. Nearly a fifth of participants experienced all three psychological conditions simultaneously. Physical activity significantly lowered the likelihood of negative psychological symptoms. Patients who exercised daily were considerably less likely to report depression, anxiety, or stress compared to those exercising occasionally. Conversely, patients with co-morbid diabetes faced substantially higher risks, being over twice as likely to experience anxiety or stress and more than three times as likely to have depressive symptoms. The findings highlight the widespread burden of psychological distress after stroke, supporting the routine integration of mental health screening, psychosocial support, and accessible rehabilitation services into clinical stroke care programmes.
Stroke recovery is frequently complicated by unaddressed mental health disorders, which diminish quality of life and impede physical rehabilitation. By demonstrating how widespread depression, anxiety, and stress are among post-stroke individuals in Ghana, this research shows that clinical management must extend beyond physical therapy. Recognising major risk factors like diabetes and protective behaviours like regular exercise allows healthcare providers to target psychological care more effectively.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
In Ghana, post-stroke patients often experience a range of psychological challenges, including depression, anxiety, and stress, which hinder their recovery and quality of life. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of depression, anxiety, and stress among post-stroke patients attending Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 post-stroke patients receiving care at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Participants were selected using consecutive sampling. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess mental health outcomes. Data were analysed using STATA version 17.0 with descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. The results showed that depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress symptoms were reported by 67.8% (95% CI 63.3%–72.2%), 58.8% (95% CI 54.1%–63.5%), and 41.2% (95% CI 36.5%–45.9%) of patients, respectively. Furthermore, 19.4% (95% CI 15.7%–23.2%) of patients experienced depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms simultaneously. Pairwise overlap analysis showed that 44.5% (95% CI 39.8%–49.3%) experienced both depressive and anxiety symptoms, 30.8% (95% CI 26.4%–35.2%) experienced both depressive and stress symptoms, and 27.5% (95% CI 23.3%–31.8%) experienced both anxiety and stress symptoms. Participants who engaged in physical activity were 40% less likely to experience depressive symptoms (AOR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9, p = 0.012) than those who did not engage in physical activity. Among participants who engaged in physical activity, those who exercised daily were 80% less likely to experience depressive symptoms (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.10–0.42, p < 0.001), 74% less likely to experience anxiety symptoms (AOR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.13–0.53, p < 0.001), and 77% less likely to experience stress symptoms (AOR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.11–0.48, p < 0.001) than those who exercised sometimes. Participants with diabetes were 3.1 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.7–5.7, p < 0.001), 2.4 times more likely to experience anxiety symptoms (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.3–4.5, p = 0.006), and 2.8 times more likely to experience stress symptoms (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.5–5.1, p = 0.001) than participants without diabetes. Depression, anxiety, and stress are highly prevalent among post-stroke patients and are associated with socio-demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and health system factors. Integrating routine mental health screening, psychosocial support, and accessible rehabilitation services into stroke care is essential to improve the psychological well-being and overall recovery outcomes of post-stroke patients in Ghana.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1186/s12982-026-02755-8
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
