Posttraumatic stress disorder in patients after stroke

Abstract

Objective. To assess the frequency of main symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in post stroke patients. Material and methods. Forty-eight patients took part in the study. We used the Impact of Events Scale (IES) and other scales to assess the severity of posttraumatic stress. Results and conclusion. Thirty three percent of patients experienced posttraumatic stress, 12.5% suffered from PTSD. We found an association between the severity of posttraumatic stress after stroke and the level of anxiety, sleep disturbances and decrease of quality of life. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress are often observed after stroke, this needs to be taken into account during planning of rehabilitation programs.