Article

This study investigated whether increasing positive mood improved interpersonal
attitudes and relieved depression in depressed stroke patients despite levels of
cognitive and emotional dysfunction. Depressed stroke (n = 30) and
rheumatic/orthopaedic controls (n = 30) were compared on the effect of verbal and
nonverbal positive and neutral mood induction on mood state, interpersonal
attitudes, psychological distress and related cognitive and emotional processing
deficits. Compared with the neutral mood induction condition, the positive mood
induction significantly improved mood state, interpersonal attitudes and
psychological distress, irrespective of cognitive and emotional processing
deficits. The nonverbal material was effective for all patients but was more
marked for the left hemisphere stroke group. There was no obvious influence of
humour appreciation despite reduced understanding in the right hemisphere stroke
group. Although the effect is likely to be short-lived, these results support the
trial of positive mood induction within therapy programmes to relieve depression.

Langue : ANGLAIS