Post-stroke depression and expressed emotion.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common complication affecting patient recovery.
• Expressed emotion (EE) from caregivers may influence mood disorders in various populations.
• The interplay between brain lesion location and emotional well-being after stroke requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between expressed emotion (EE) and post-stroke depression (PSD).
• To examine the interaction between partner/spouse EE and lesion laterality in PSD.
• To explore the role of perceived EE in the development of PSD.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, between-subjects design was employed.
• Stroke survivors were assessed using the Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale (EADL), Post-Stroke Depression Rating Scale (PSDRS), and Level of Expressed Emotion Scale (LEE).
• Spouses/partners also completed the Level of Expressed Emotion Scale (LEE).

Main Results:

• No significant interaction was found between partner/spouse EE and lesion laterality on PSD.
• A significant relationship was observed between lesion laterality and PSD, with left hemisphere strokes showing higher depression levels.
• Increased spouse/partner EE scores correlated with increased PSD.
• Perceived EE demonstrated a significant interaction with lesion laterality in predicting PSD.

Conclusions:

• While spouse/partner EE did not interact with lesion laterality to predict PSD, perceived EE did.
• Left hemisphere stroke survivors reported higher PSD than right hemisphere survivors.
• Higher levels of EE, particularly perceived EE, are associated with increased PSD, especially in left hemisphere strokes.