An examination of depression in the spouses of stroke patients

The prevalence and correlates of depression in the spouses of 41 stroke patients were examined. Spouses reported their own mood on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and rated their partners', i.e., the stroke patients', mood using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). A psychologist evaluated the patients' mood using the HRSD and their cognitive/language and physical impairments through a brief battery of neuropsychological tests. Results indicated that 44% of the spouses were depressed. There were no significant relationships between spouses' depression and their age or gender. Spouse depression was also not correlated with the severity of the patients' physical, cognitive or language impairments. However, the spouses' perception of the patients' mood was a better predictor of the spouses' mood than was the clinicians' evaluation of the patients' mood. Results highlight the vulnerability of spouses of stroke patients for developing depression and the complex nature of spouses' reactions to their partners' stroke.