Depression predictors within six months of ischemic stroke: The DEPRESS Study

Depression negatively affects rehabilitation and quality of life after stroke. Identifying in the acute phase patients at high risk for post-stroke depression would facilitate early detection of depressive symptoms.

The DEPRESS (Depression Predictors after Ischemic Stroke) study was a prospective cohort study designed to identify baseline predictors of depression occurring within six months after ischemic stroke and high-risk patients for post-stroke depression. All patients without aphasia were screened for depression by a neurologist using the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the diagnosis was confirmed by a psychiatrist with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. In severely aphasic patients, depression was diagnosed using the Aphasic Depression Rating Scale and the Visual Analog Mood Scale.

Depression was present in 61 of 251 (24%) patients enrolled in the DEPRESS study. Female gender, prior history of depression, major physical disability, prior history of stroke, stressful life event exposure in the month preceding stroke onset, and pathologic crying were significant predictors of depression within six months after ischemic stroke. Depression was more frequent in patients with left caudate and/or lenticular nucleus lesion (OR = 2.4, 95% confidence interval, 0.97-5.91), but the difference was not significant. The presence of ≥2 predictors identified the largest proportion of depressed patients (62%) in the smallest proportion of the cohort (36%).

Female gender, prior history of depression, major physical disability, prior history of stroke, recent stressful life event exposure before stroke, and pathologic crying were significant predictors of post-stroke depression occurring within six months after stroke onset.