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Self-reported depression and use of antidepressants after stroke: A national survey

Eriksson, M ; Asplund, K ; Glader, EL ; Norrving, Bo LU ; Stegmayr, B ; Terent, A ; Asberg, KH and Wester, PO (2004) In Stroke: a journal of cerebral circulation 35(4). p.936-941
Abstract
Background and Purpose - Depression after stroke is often described as underdiagnosed and undertreated. However, there are few data on self-reported depression and use of antidepressants in stroke patients at large. Materials and Methods - In the Swedish national quality assessment register, Riks-Stroke, 15 747 stroke survivors are recorded. They were asked about depressive mood and antidepressant treatment 3 months after stroke. Age-specific prevalence of antidepressant use after stroke was calculated. Results - At 3 months after stroke, 12.4% of male and 16.4% of female stroke survivors reported that they always or often felt depressed. In a multiple logistic regression model, female sex, age younger than 65 years, living alone, having... (More)
Background and Purpose - Depression after stroke is often described as underdiagnosed and undertreated. However, there are few data on self-reported depression and use of antidepressants in stroke patients at large. Materials and Methods - In the Swedish national quality assessment register, Riks-Stroke, 15 747 stroke survivors are recorded. They were asked about depressive mood and antidepressant treatment 3 months after stroke. Age-specific prevalence of antidepressant use after stroke was calculated. Results - At 3 months after stroke, 12.4% of male and 16.4% of female stroke survivors reported that they always or often felt depressed. In a multiple logistic regression model, female sex, age younger than 65 years, living alone, having had a recurrent stroke, being dependent on others, and institutional living 3 months after stroke were independent predictors of self-reported depression. Antidepressant medication was used by 22.5% of men and 28.1% of women who had had a stroke. Of patients using antidepressant drugs, 67.5% did not report depressive mood. However, 8.4% of the entire cohort reported depressive mood but no treatment with antidepressants. When compared with the general population, approximately twice as many of the stroke patients were using antidepressant treatment. Conclusions - In this national survey, 1 in 7 patients reported that they felt depressed and the use of antidepressant drugs after stroke was common. The widespread use of antidepressants challenges the contention that antidepressants are generally underused after stroke. However, the substantial proportion reporting depressive mood but not using treatment with antidepressants suggests that patient selection for treatment should be more precise. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
antidepressive agents, stroke, depression
in
Stroke: a journal of cerebral circulation
volume
35
issue
4
pages
936 - 941
publisher
American Heart Association
external identifiers
  • pmid:15001790
  • wos:000220450400025
  • scopus:1842575865
  • pmid:15001790
ISSN
1524-4628
DOI
10.1161/01.STR.0000121643.86762.9a
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ca23d988-a141-4919-b53a-ce0984fa47d3 (old id 283128)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:47:27
date last changed
2022-03-15 02:55:20
@article{ca23d988-a141-4919-b53a-ce0984fa47d3,
  abstract     = {{Background and Purpose - Depression after stroke is often described as underdiagnosed and undertreated. However, there are few data on self-reported depression and use of antidepressants in stroke patients at large. Materials and Methods - In the Swedish national quality assessment register, Riks-Stroke, 15 747 stroke survivors are recorded. They were asked about depressive mood and antidepressant treatment 3 months after stroke. Age-specific prevalence of antidepressant use after stroke was calculated. Results - At 3 months after stroke, 12.4% of male and 16.4% of female stroke survivors reported that they always or often felt depressed. In a multiple logistic regression model, female sex, age younger than 65 years, living alone, having had a recurrent stroke, being dependent on others, and institutional living 3 months after stroke were independent predictors of self-reported depression. Antidepressant medication was used by 22.5% of men and 28.1% of women who had had a stroke. Of patients using antidepressant drugs, 67.5% did not report depressive mood. However, 8.4% of the entire cohort reported depressive mood but no treatment with antidepressants. When compared with the general population, approximately twice as many of the stroke patients were using antidepressant treatment. Conclusions - In this national survey, 1 in 7 patients reported that they felt depressed and the use of antidepressant drugs after stroke was common. The widespread use of antidepressants challenges the contention that antidepressants are generally underused after stroke. However, the substantial proportion reporting depressive mood but not using treatment with antidepressants suggests that patient selection for treatment should be more precise.}},
  author       = {{Eriksson, M and Asplund, K and Glader, EL and Norrving, Bo and Stegmayr, B and Terent, A and Asberg, KH and Wester, PO}},
  issn         = {{1524-4628}},
  keywords     = {{antidepressive agents; stroke; depression}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{936--941}},
  publisher    = {{American Heart Association}},
  series       = {{Stroke: a journal of cerebral circulation}},
  title        = {{Self-reported depression and use of antidepressants after stroke: A national survey}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/01.STR.0000121643.86762.9a}},
  doi          = {{10.1161/01.STR.0000121643.86762.9a}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}