Social and Demographic Factors in Post-Stroke Patients with Co-morbid Depression

Teresa Pop
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Andrzej Kwolek
Grzegorz Przysada
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Urlich Dockweiler
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Anna Maria Ax
Grzegorz Magoń
Agnieszka Bejer
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Joanna Grzegorczyk
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Ewa Lenart-Domka
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Instytut Fizjoterapii Wydziału Medycznego Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego, Rzeszów, Polska
Institute of Physiotherapy of University of Rzeszów, Poland
Institute of Physiotherapy, Medical Department, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland
Z Oddziału Neurologii Kliniki Flachsheide, Bad Salzuflen
Klinikum Für Rehabilitation im Bad Slazuflen
Z Oddziału Rehabilitacji, Szpitala Powiatowego w Łańcucie
Institute of Health Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, Rzeszow, Poland
Faculty of Medicine, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
Institute of Physiotherapy, University of Rzeszow, Poland

Abstract

Each year in Poland 60,000 patients, i.e. 0.16% of Polish population, suffer from stroke. Slightly higher incidence of new stroke is noted in Germany, where annually stroke onset is observed in roughly 165,000 patients, i.e. 0.208 of German population. The most common post-stroke complication is depression. It affects about 508 of post-stroke patients. The goal of this study is to analyse the existing differences in socio-demographic factors in German and Polish populations. The study group consisted of post-stroke patients with co-morbid depression who were receiving treatment in a clinic rehabilitation ward, in a rehabilitation ward of a specialist hospital, and district hospital as well as in rehabilitation clinics in Germany, in 2007-2008. The tests involved the total of 137 patients, with the mean age of 68.5. The analysis included some socio-demographic factors such as: age, financial situation, living arrangements, educational attainment and marital status. The research shows that the incidence of depression in post-stroke patients was determined by age, lower financial status as well as living alone in the patients of both the Polish and German populations. Conclusions. With regard to patients who suffered stroke, depression is a frequent complication in the Polish population. The financial situation and living arrangements impact the frequency of depression incidence in stroke survivors in a statistically significant way. There is a statistically significant difference jin the incidence of depression between patients living alone and those living with families.

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