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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Sep;40(9):3073-8.
doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.109.549808. Epub 2009 Aug 6.

Brief psychosocial-behavioral intervention with antidepressant reduces poststroke depression significantly more than usual care with antidepressant: living well with stroke: randomized, controlled trial

Pamela H Mitchell  1 , Richard C Veith, Kyra J Becker, Ann Buzaitis, Kevin C Cain, Michael Fruin, David Tirschwell, Linda Teri
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Brief psychosocial-behavioral intervention with antidepressant reduces poststroke depression significantly more than usual care with antidepressant: living well with stroke: randomized, controlled trial

Pamela H Mitchell et al. Stroke. 2009 Sep.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Depression after stroke is prevalent, diminishing recovery and quality of life. Brief behavioral intervention, adjunctive to antidepressant therapy, has not been well evaluated for long-term efficacy in those with poststroke depression.

Methods: One hundred one clinically depressed patients with ischemic stroke within 4 months of index stroke were randomly assigned to an 8-week brief psychosocial-behavioral intervention plus antidepressant or usual care, including antidepressant. The primary end point was reduction in depressive symptom severity at 12 months after entry.

Results: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression raw score in the intervention group was significantly lower immediately posttreatment (P<0.001) and at 12 months (P=0.05) compared with control subjects. Remission (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression <10) was significantly greater immediately posttreatment and at 12 months in the intervention group compared with the usual care control. The mean percent decrease (47%+/-26% intervention versus 32%+/-36% control, P=0.02) and the mean absolute decrease (-9.2+/-5.7 intervention versus -6.2+/-6.4 control, P=0.023) in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression at 12 months were clinically important and statistically significant in the intervention group compared with control.

Conclusions: A brief psychosocial-behavioral intervention is highly effective in reducing depression in both the short and long term.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00194454.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The above referenced grant was a source of funding for all authors. There are no other conflicts to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
LWWS Flowchart
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