Delirium and Previous Psychiatric History Independently Predict Poststroke Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Delirium is acute brain dysfunction linked to poor mental health outcomes.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk after cerebrovascular events, particularly intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), is understudied.
• Understanding PTSD predictors post-ICH is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of PTSD after nontraumatic ICH.
• To identify predictors of post-stroke PTSD symptoms in ICH survivors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 205 patients with nontraumatic ICH.
• Correlational analyses (univariate and multivariable) to identify PTSD predictors.
• PTSD symptoms assessed using the PTSD checklist-civilian version (PCL-C).

Main Results:

• PTSD screening criteria met by 11.6%–20.2% of patients at 3, 6, and 12 months post-ICH.
• Younger age, female sex, unemployment, and in-hospital delirium predicted higher PTSD symptom scores.
• Previous psychiatric history and greater functional impairment (Modified Rankin Scale) also correlated with increased PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Delirium, younger age, female sex, unemployment, and prior psychiatric conditions are associated with higher PTSD symptom severity after ICH.
• Increased PTSD symptoms correlate with greater functional impairment.
• Identifying susceptible patients can guide earlier, coordinated interventions to mitigate PTSD after stroke.