Article

Up to half of all stroke survivors become depressed. Poststroke
depression (PSD) negatively impacts on quality of life and rehabilitation
outcomes and increases risk of mortality. Depression is also common in carers,
leading to poorer outcomes in survivors. Few stroke patients receive adequate
care to support prevention and management of PSD. We aimed to systematically
review the evidence regarding the effectiveness of family-oriented interventions
to prevent and manage depression after stroke and identify components of
effective interventions. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted, adhering to
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)
guidelines. Eight databases were searched, and relevant journals and reference
lists were hand searched. Abstracts were screened for relevance and two authors
independently assessed selected full texts against inclusion criteria. Studies
were included if they (1) engaged stroke patients and their informal/family
caregivers; (2) measured changes in depression due to an intervention; and (3)
were available in English. RESULTS: Twenty-five of 2741 identified citations met
the inclusion criteria. Five studies demonstrated significant reductions in
depression. Commonalities across effective studies included the delivery of
interventions that were structured and multicomponent, actively engaged patients
and families, coordinated care, and were initiated soon after a stroke.
CONCLUSION: Family-oriented stroke rehabilitation may reduce depression in stroke
survivors and their family caregivers. More research is required to clarify the
effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of working with families and
patients living with or who may be at risk of PSD.

Langue : ANGLAIS