Emotional and Cognitive Changes Following a Stroke

Abstract

Stroke can have many different effects on patients' mood, cognitions, and behaviour. The emotional outcome most often associated with stroke is depression (or depressed mood), and its frequency after stroke has led some to suggest that post‐stroke depression is a distinct type. The increased recognition of mood disorders, behavioural changes, and cognitive impairment and their effects on patients, has resulted in the development of new interventions, a greater number of professionals skilled to intervene, and increased research evidence on intervention effectiveness. Psychological disorder and distress continue to be under‐recognised, some disorders are incorrectly diagnosed and treated, and the relative lack of a research base means that nurses and doctors may be treating disorders in their patients without much certainty about the effectiveness of the interventions. Models of coping theories can help to explain patients' reactions.