Post-Stroke Depression: How Does it Impact Healthcare Use?

Results from a large (N=5,825) study of post-stroke survivors suggest that post-stroke depression (PSD) is both prevalent and significantly impacts post-stroke healthcare use. The stroke patients were identified from the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) inpatient databases, and their PSD and post-stroke healthcare use was assessed via pharmacy data from Medicare fee-for-service and the VA. 41% of the probands presented with PSD within 12 months of their stroke, and these patients demonstrated significantly more healthcare use (measured in number of hospitalizations, length of stay, and number of outpatient visits) than their non-depressed counterparts. This study appeared in Stroke. http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/11/2796

-PC