Stroke Survivors Have Almost Three Times Higher Risk of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common complication affecting stroke survivors' recovery and quality of life.
• Existing research documents PSD prevalence (20-60%), but the odds ratio (OR) linking stroke to depression is less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence odds ratio (OR) of depression in stroke survivors.
• To analyze the prevalence proportion of PSD as a secondary objective.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA guidelines, searching PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS.
• Included 26 comparative studies (947,853 participants) for OR analysis and 245 articles (493,681 patients) for prevalence.
• Utilized random-effects model for meta-analysis and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for quality assessment.

Main Results:

• Stroke survivors exhibited significantly higher odds of developing PSD (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: [2.29-3.22]) compared to controls.
• The overall prevalence of PSD was found to be 34.46 ± 16.48%.

Conclusions:

• Stroke survivors face a nearly threefold increased likelihood of experiencing depression post-stroke.
• Approximately one-third of stroke patients are affected by post-stroke depression.