Navigating Emotional Changes: Practical Approaches for Post-Stroke Patients

Stroke is an acute medical event with long-term physical, cognitive,and psychological impact on the patient and the family system. Current treatment for stroke includes medical stabilization and some level of physical rehabilitation. However, the cognitive-affective deficits resulting from stroke can be devastating to patients (i.e., Involuntary Emotional Expressive Disorder [IEED]) and caregivers as well. With present trends in reimbursement shifting the greater part of the recuperation process away from the hospital setting and into the community, primary providers including psychologists and other allied health professionals, are playing a greater role in patients' recovery. Effective treatment of the psychological consequences of stroke can maximize a patient's gains, improve quality of life, facilitate a productive lifestyle, and reduce excess healthcare utilization. This course reviews the prevalence, etiology, and consequences of stroke. Emotional sequelae of stroke for the patient and caregiver are discussed, with a focus on depressive and pseudodepressive disorders. Evidence-based assessment of post-stroke psychological disorders is presented. Current treatment trends and directions for future intervention research are reviewed.