Depressed mood after stroke. A community study of its frequency.

A community study on stroke registered 976 patients. Over 60% of survivors at three weeks, six months and 12 months after the stroke were assessed for depressed mood, using the Wakefield self-assessment depression inventory, and on other functional and social activities. At each point, 25-30% of those assessed were depressed; over 50% of patients depressed at three weeks remained so at one year. Factors associated with depression included loss of functional independence, a low level of other activities, a low reasoning ability, and being female and living with someone; path analysis showed that most depression was not explained by these factors. Few depressed patients at six months were on antidepressant medication.