Poststroke depression and its impact on quality of life

Depression is one of the most common problems after stroke. Depression is not only frequently occurring outcome of stroke, but stroke is also a clear risk factor for depression. Depression after stroke can affect anyone regardless of his/her age, sex, background, or the severity of stroke. It can develop immediately after the stroke or weeks or months later. Many people are not routinely assessed for depression after stroke, and only a minority are properly diagnosed and treated. Patients with poststroke depression have lower functional status, increased cognitive impairment, and higher mortality rates than stroke patients without depression. Poststroke depression is also associated with poor psychosocial outcome and poor quality of life; therefore, there is a strong case for the early diagnosis and treatment of poststroke depression.