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Association between Marital/Partner Status and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review
Cenjing Zhu1, Phoebe M Tran2, Erica C Leifheit1
1Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Cerebrovascular Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 18, 2025
Summary
Marital status significantly impacts stroke patients' mental health, reducing depression and anxiety. However, it does not appear to affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Further research is needed to explore sex differences and functional outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
- Psychology
Background:
- Marital/partner status influence on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in stroke survivors is inconsistently reported.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to clarify this relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between marital/partner status and PROMs in stroke patients.
- To investigate the impact of marital status on various outcome domains including mental health, HRQoL, functional status, and personal recovery.
Main Methods:
- Searched five major databases (Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycINFO) from inception to April 2024.
- Included peer-reviewed studies reporting the independent association of marital/partner status with defined PROMs in stroke patients.
- Classified results into HRQoL, functional status, symptoms, and personal recovery outcomes; appraised study quality using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale; synthesized data by outcome domains.
Main Results:
- Analyzed 51 studies (552,943 participants), with 10 included in meta-analyses.
- Being married/partnered was linked to lower odds of post-stroke depression (OR, 0.62) and anxiety (OR, 0.32), with no significant heterogeneity (I2=0%).
- No significant association was found with health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, qualitative synthesis suggested better functional and personal recovery for partnered patients.
Conclusions:
- Marital/partner status significantly influences mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety) in stroke patients, but not HRQoL.
- Further research is recommended to standardize assessments, explore sex-based differences, and investigate the link with functional recovery.
- Findings underscore the importance of considering social support, such as marital status, in stroke patient care and recovery.
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