Association between Stroke Status and Depression in a Community Setting: The 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

background and purposePrevious studies have examined the risk factors for depression in stroke patients, but little information is available on the relationship between stroke status and depression in the community-dwelling general population. We evaluated the association between stroke status and depression using representative nationwide data.

methodsIn total, 3,487 subjects (aged ≥40 years) who participated in version VI-2 of the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) performed in 2014 were included. We compared the prevalence of depression in 120 community-dwelling stroke patients and 3,367 nonstroke controls using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

resultsThe prevalence of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) was 16.7% in stroke patients and 6.4% in controls. In the unadjusted model, depression was more common in stroke patients than in nonstroke controls [odds ratio (OR), 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.79-4.86]. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, health-related behaviors, and comorbidities, stroke diagnosis was a significant risk factor for depression (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.06-3.24). Specifically, a diagnosis of stroke in patients aged <60 years (OR, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.81-8.09) and the presence of stroke complications (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.25-6.13) remained significant risk factors for depression even after adjusting for potential confounders.

conclusionsIn a community setting, poststroke survivors had a higher prevalence of depression, and stroke was an independent risk factor for depression. Public psychosocial interventions are needed to improve the mental health care of community-dwelling stroke survivors.