Tamara Tse, Jacinta Douglas, Primrose Lentin, Thomas Lindén , Leonid Churilov, Henry Ma, Stephen Davis , Geoffrey Donnan, Leeanne M. Carey
Occupational Therapy, Department of Community and Clinical Allied Health, School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, 3086 Bundoora, Australia
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2184

Objective: To quantify the association of depressive symptoms with retained activity participation 3 months post-stroke, after adjusting for neurological stroke severity and age.
Design: A cross-sectional observational study of retained activity participation and depressive symptoms in stroke survivors with ischaemic stroke.
Participants: One hundred stroke survivors with mild neurological stroke severity.
Methods: One hundred stroke survivors were recruited from 5 metropolitan hospitals and reviewed at 3 months post-stroke using measures of activity participation, Activity Card Sort-Australia, and depressive symptoms, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale Structured Interview Guide (MADRS-SIGMA).
Results: The median percentage of retained overall activity participation was 97%, (interquartile range 79–100%). Using multiple median regression, 1 point increase in the MADRS-SIGMA was associated with a median decrease of 0. 7% (95% CI –1. 4 to –0. 1, p=0. 02) of retained overall activity participation, assuming similar neurological stroke severity and age.
Conclusion: The findings of this study establish the association of depressive symptoms with retained activity participation 3 months post-stroke in stroke survivors with mild neurological stroke severity. Clinical rehabilitation recommendations to enhance activity participation need to account for those with even mild depressive symptoms post-stroke.