Ibrahim Saleh Al-Busaidi1, Yassar Alamri2. 1. Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. 2. Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand; Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand; New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand. Electronic address: yassar.alamri@nzbri.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are the two most frequent neuropsychiatric manifestations of stroke. In Saudi Arabia, there is a general lack of research into anxiety and depression in stroke patients when compared with physical complications. METHODS: We assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression in 76 stroke patients from Saudi Arabia using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: In this study, 18.4% and 23.7% of the patients met the HADS criteria for moderate or severe anxiety and depression, respectively. Female gender was the only significant predictive factor associated with both anxiety (P = .03) and depression (P = .04), where longer duration since stroke was only associated with anxiety (P = .02) but not depression (P = .25). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that anxiety and depression are commonplace in Saudi patients with stroke, a finding that has implications for clinical practice and future research.
BACKGROUND:Anxiety and depression are the two most frequent neuropsychiatric manifestations of stroke. In Saudi Arabia, there is a general lack of research into anxiety and depression in strokepatients when compared with physical complications. METHODS: We assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression in 76 strokepatients from Saudi Arabia using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: In this study, 18.4% and 23.7% of the patients met the HADS criteria for moderate or severe anxiety and depression, respectively. Female gender was the only significant predictive factor associated with both anxiety (P = .03) and depression (P = .04), where longer duration since stroke was only associated with anxiety (P = .02) but not depression (P = .25). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that anxiety and depression are commonplace in Saudi patients with stroke, a finding that has implications for clinical practice and future research.