Family function and depression among stroke survivors in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The role of family function in the context of the occurrence of depression among stroke survivors is yet to be accorded adequate attention. This study set out to assess the relationship between family function and post-stroke depression among stroke survivors attending clinical outlets of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. A hospital-based cross-sectional design comprising of 381 stroke patients aged >18 years, selected consecutively, was employed in the study. The Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Family APGAR questionnaire were used to assess depression and family function respectively. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 381 stroke survivors were involved in the study with mean age of 60.54 ± 13.41 years. The proportion of stroke survivors with post-stroke depression in this study was 36.75% (n=140). There was a significant negative correlation between BDI and family APGAR scores (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that family function was significantly related to post-stroke depression irrespective of sex. Stroke survivors from dysfunctional families were about 1.6 times more likely to have post-stroke depression in comparison to those from functional families (Adjusted OR=1.58; 95%CI: 1.01- 2.51; p<0.05). Post-stroke depression is not uncommon. There is a significant relationship between family function and occurrence of post-stroke depression irrespective of age and gender of the stroke survivor. Therefore, efforts geared towards the improvement of family function among stroke-survivors should be implemented.