The course of depressive symptoms in the first 12 months post-stroke and its association with unmet needs

Aim: To describe the course of depressive symptoms during the first 12 months post-stroke and its association with unmet needs. Methods: A prospective cohort study among stroke patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. Depressive symptoms were assessed 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and categorized into three trajectories: no (all times <8), non-consistent (one or two times ≥8), or persistent (all times ≥8) depressive symptoms. Unmet needs were assessed using the Longer-Term Unmet Needs questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and unmet needs. Results: One hundred and fifty-one patients were included, of whom 95 (62.9%), 38 (25.2%), and 18 (11.9%) had no, non-consistent, or persistent depressive symptoms, respectively. Depressive symptoms three months post-stroke persisted in 43.9% and recurred in 19.5% of patients during the first 12 months post-stroke. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with the occurrence and number of unmet needs (odds ratio 6.49; p = 0.003 and odds ratio 1.28; p = 0.005, respectively). Conclusions: Depressive symptoms three months post-stroke were likely to persist or recur during the first 12 months post-stroke. Depressive symptoms are associated with unmet needs. These results suggest that routine monitoring of depressive symptoms and unmet needs should be considered post-stroke.Implications for rehabilitation Patients with depressive symptoms three months post-stroke have a high risk of developing persistent or recurrent depressive symptoms during the first 12 months post-stroke. Unmet needs are associated with both non-consistent and persistent depressive symptoms post-stroke. These results suggest that health professionals should routinely screen for depressive symptoms and health care needs around three months post-stroke. In patients with depressive symptoms at three months post-stroke early treatment of depressive symptoms and addressing unmet needs should be considered and depressive symptoms should be routinely monitored during the first 12 months post-stroke.