Abstract 2637: Being Depression Free Helps Return To Work In Younger (<65 Years) Stroke Survivors: Results From The Psychosocial Outcomes In Stroke (POISE) Study

Abstract

Background: Each year approximately 12,000 Australians of working age survive a stroke. An ability to participate in paid employment has been identified by younger stroke survivors as having important psychological and economic consequences. Methods: The POISE study (Psychosocial Outcome In StrokE 1 ) is the largest cohort of young (<65 years of age) stroke survivors. Consecutive participants <65 years of age were recruited within 28 days of stroke from hospitals and stroke units in the greater Sydney metropolitan region, NSW Australia. Stroke was defined according to WHO standard criteria. A range of validated demographic, clinical, mental health, cognitive and disability measures including return to paid employment were obtained over the 12 months following stroke. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with returning to paid employment within 12 months of stroke. Results: Among 441 participants, 218 were in paid full-time and 53 in paid part-time work immediately before their stroke, of whom 202 returned to paid part- or full-time work within 12 months of their stroke. Being free of depression at 28-days was the only independent predictor of return to work (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.5) following adjustment for age, sex, and history of depression before stroke (C statistic 0.73). Conclusion: Three quarters of previously employed participants returned to paid employment within 12 months of stroke, with those not depressed most likely to return. Depression is potentially modifiable and early management of depressive symptoms may increase the proportion of those able to return to paid employment. 1 Hackett M, Glozier N, Jan S, Lindley R. Psychosocial Outcomes In StrokE: the POISE observational stroke study protocol. BMC Neurology 2009, 9:24