Abstract Details

To evaluate the relationship between psychological outcome after hemorrhagic stroke and functional status.

We prospectively identified patients with non-traumatic hemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage) between January 2015 and February 2021 who were alive 3-months after discharge and telephonically assessed 1) psychological outcome using the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders anxiety, depression, emotional and behavioral dyscontrol, fatigue and sleep disturbance inventories and 2) functional outcome using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index. We also identified discharge destination for all patients. We then evaluated the relationship between abnormal psychological outcomes (T-score >50) and discharge destination other than home, poor 3-month mRS score defined as ≥3 and poor 3-month Barthel Index defined as <100. 

73 patients were included; 41 (56%) had an abnormal psychological outcome on at least one inventory. There were 41 (56%) patients discharged to a destination other than home, 45 (63%) with poor mRS score and 29 (40%) with poor Barthel Index. Anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance were all associated with a destination other than home, poor mRS score, and poor Barthel Index (all p<0.05). Emotional and behavioral dyscontrol was related to destination other than home and poor mRS (p=0.042 and p=0.025, respectively). Fatigue was related to poor mRS score and poor Barthel Index (p=0.001 and p=0.004, respectively). 

Multiple psychological outcomes 3-months after hemorrhagic stroke are related to functional status. Interventions to improve psychological outcome and reduce morbidity in patients with poor functional status should be explored by the interdisciplinary team.