Long-Term Psychological Distress Among Surrogate Decision Makers for Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White Patients...

During acute hospitalizations, physicians often focus on the stroke patient and not family who may be traumatized by this sudden change to their loved one. We investigated long-term psychological distress among family surrogate decision makers for Mexican American (MA) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) severe stroke patients. Previous work in other diseases suggested worse psychological outcomes in MA than NHW caregivers.

This was a population-based, prospective cohort study in Nueces County, TX. Stroke patient participants and their surrogate decision makers were enrolled soon after any stroke between April, 2016, and October, 2020, if surrogates had made decisions about life-sustaining treatments. Surrogates completed validated measures of posttraumatic stress, National Stressful Events Survey for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Short Scale; anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; and depression, Patient Health Questionnaire-8 at discharge, 3, 6, and 12 months. Ethnic differences were assessed with multilevel linear mixed models, sequentially adjusted for prespecified patient and surrogate demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical covariates.

There were 301 family surrogates for 241 severe stroke patients. The mean follow-up was 315 days. High scores on measures of psychological distress ranged between 17% and 28% of surrogates. One or more high levels of the psychological outcomes were found in 17%-43% of surrogates; 2 or more were found in 12%-27%; and all 3 were found in 5%-16% of surrogates. All psychological outcomes were worse among MAs on unadjusted analyses. In fully adjusted models, posttraumatic stress remained worse among MAs (0.36, 95% CI 0.17-0.56); ethnic differences were attenuated and no longer significant in the final model for anxiety (0.59, 95% CI -0.55 to 1.74) and depression (0.97, 95% CI -0.25 to 2.19). The trajectory for depression did differ by ethnicity (interaction p = 0.03), with depression score improving more rapidly over time among NHWs than MAs. Advance care plans did not seem to confound any ethnic differences.

Psychological distress is common among family surrogate decision makers in the year after stroke and may be worse among MAs. Efforts are needed to support family members of all ethnic groups after severe stroke.