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R6. Prevention of Psychological Morbidity After Stroke
Psychosocial adjustment of the stroke survivor is critical to maximize functional recovery and long-term adaptation. This study tests the efficacy of a new intervention to assist stroke survivors with psychosocial aspects of their post-hospitalization adjustment. A stress and coping model and cognitive behavioral techniques are used to conceive a treatment that helps survivors identify risks to a healthy psychosocial adjustment, coaches coping skills, and enhances health self-efficacy. 130 medically and psychiatrically stable, cognitively intact adults with a new stroke are randomly assigned to a control group for usual treatment or a treatment group for individual interventions to prevent post-hospital psychosocial morbidity. Treatment subjects participate in six to eight sessions of structured therapy during hospitalization with two follow-up contacts after discharge. All subjects are followed for six months post discharge. Outcome variables include depression, anxiety, health self-efficacy, perceived social support, and quality of life. It is hypothesized that treatment group subjects will demonstrate gains in outcome variables and maintain them six months after discharge in comparison to control group subjects.