Assessment of Depression After Stroke

Abstract

Background and Purpose— Assessing poststroke depression may be complicated by aphasia, other cognitive deficits, and several somatic stroke-related symptoms. We studied the possible differences in performance of some commonly used instruments in screening depression after stroke. Methods— We compared the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Visual Analogue Mood Scale, proxy assessment, and Clinical Global Impression of the nursing and study personnel, together with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition, Revised diagnosis, in assessing depression after stroke in a follow-up study of 100 patients. The patients were studied at 2 weeks and at 2, 6, 12, and 18 months after stroke. Results— The feasibility rates of all assessment instruments studied were fairly similar, but the prevalence rates differed according to the assessment instruments, varying from the lowest rates with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition, Revised-...