Assessing acute psychological distress in the immediate aftermath of stroke.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
High acute stress may presage the development of subsequent cardiovascular ailments. Understanding how best to assess acute stress may inform early interventions seeking to prevent long-term morbidity/mortality following stroke. A mixed methods approach examined early post-stroke acute stress symptoms using the post-traumatic stress disorder checklist-5 (PCL-5) and the acute stress disorder scale (ASDS).


METHODS
A focus group of stroke survivors and/or their caregivers ( N=8) evaluated PCL-5/ASDS feasibility, and 20 patients hospitalized for acute stroke were interviewed 2-10 days post-stroke onset, using either the PCL-5 or the ASDS.


RESULTS
Acute stress symptoms were present and measurable during acute stroke recovery. Assessment of acute stress in hospitalized patients with stroke is feasible; a briefer modified ASDS has advantages over the PCL-5.


CONCLUSIONS
The ASDS is a viable and useful measure for assessing psychological distress during the acute post-stroke aftermath. Findings suggest that acute stress symptoms are present among patients with stroke, warranting greater attention to psychological responses in the early post-stroke period. Given that acute stress has serious potential long-term health consequences, additional research on stroke-related acute stress may prove useful for understanding post-stroke morbidity/mortality.
['Juth|Vanessa|V|', 'Chan|Michelle K|MK|', 'Cramer|Steven C|SC|', 'Holman|E Alison|EA|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D057189:Checklist D005240:Feasibility Studies D005260:Female D017144:Focus Groups D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic D013315:Stress, Psychological D020521:Stroke D017741:Survivors
assessment Stroke acute stress post-traumatic stress