Abstract:
Background: Stroke is the second-leading cause of death in 2019 globally. Mood-related
psychiatric syndromes are common in Stroke survivors. Of all stroke-related neuropsychiatric
illnesses, depression is the most prevalent, followed by anxiety and adjustment disorder. Rates of
depression in stroke survivors range from 18 to 33% globally. In Ethiopia, there are only a few
studies that are done to assess the prevalence of depression in stroke survivors despite its
significant burden in the community. This study narrows the gap of information and identified
factors that are significantly associated with depression in the community.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of depression and associated factors in stroke patients on
follow-up at Jimma University medical center neurology clinic in Jimma Town, Ethiopia.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jimma university medical
center neurology clinic from January to March 2023 among 75 stroke survivors who are on
follow-up treatment at the hospital. The prevalence of depression was assessed by using Patient
Health Questionnaire 9. All patients who came for follow-up treatment during the study period
were included in the study. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data
were entered into Epi-Data 4.6, and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive
statistics like frequency, percentage, proportion, and mean with standard deviation were
computed. Binary and multivariate logistic regressions were done to identify factors that have a
significant association with Post-stroke depression.
The study was conducted from January to March 2023.
Results: A total of 75 stroke patients participated in the study, with a mean age and SD of 52.12
15.6 years. The prevalence of depression among participants was found to be 21.3% (95%
CI=12.0-28.2). Depression in stroke survivors was associated with stroke duration for more than
six months (AOR=4.99, 95% CI=1.127, 22.07), the presence of comorbidity of diabetes mellitus
(AOR=5.36, 95% CI=1.185, 24.26) and poor social support (AOR=4.11, 95% CI=1.153, 14.63).
Conclusion: Depression is prevalent among stroke patients and healthcare providers should
routinely screen stroke patients for depression. While screening for depression is conducted, risk
factors such as comorbidities, duration of diagnosis, and social support; should be considered.
Addressing risk factors may prevent the progression of depression in this population.
