ArticleNeuropsychiatric disease and treatment2020
Experiences and Illness Perceptions of Patients with Functional Symptoms Admitted to Hyperacute Stroke Wards: A Mixed-Method Study.
Article in Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Treatment of Functional Neurological Disorders.Journal of clinical neurology (Seoul, Korea) · 2026Review
- How perceived risk of recurrence strengthens health management awareness in stroke patients: the chain mediating role of risk fear and health literacy.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- The value and limitations of the Oxford Community Stroke Project classification in the hyperacute phase of cerebral infarction.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Review
- Relationships between illness perception, functional status, social support, and self-care behavior among Thai people at high risk of stroke: A cross-sectional study.Belitung nursing journal · 2023Article
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Abstract
introductionA proportion of patients admitted to acute-stroke settings have not had a stroke, but have conditions mimicking a stroke. Approximately 25% of suspected stroke cases are "stroke mimics" and 2% are patients with functional symptoms - "functional stroke mimics". This study aimed to explore experiences and illness perceptions of patients with functional symptoms admitted to hyperacute stroke wards.
methodsThis study used mixed methods. Patients with functional stroke symptoms participated in semistructured qualitative interviews immediately after admission to one of two acute-stroke units in London and again 2 months after hospital discharge. Qualitative data were assessed using thematic analysis. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief-IPQ) measured illness perceptions at admission and at 2-month follow-up.
resultsA total of 36 participants completed baseline interviews and 25 completed follow-up. Six themes emerged: physical symptom experience, emotional and coping responses, symptom causes, hospital experiences, views on the future, and uncertainty after hospital discharge. Mean Brief-IPQ score at admission was 49.3 (SD: 9.9), indicating a moderate-high level of perceived illness threat. Participants presented with a range of functional symptoms. At baseline, participants were highly concerned about their symptoms, but this had decreased at 2-month follow-up. Two months later, many were confused as to the cause of their admission.
conclusionThis is the first study to examine functional stroke patients' experiences of acute-stroke admission. At admission, patients expressed confusion regarding their diagnosis, experienced high levels of emotional distress, and were concerned they were perceived as time wasting by stroke clinicians. While most participants experienced symptom recovery, there was a significant subgroup for whom symptoms persisted or worsened. A lack of care guidelines on the management of functional stroke patients may perpetuate functional symptoms.
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