Factors Affecting Stress in Chronic Stroke Patients Undergoing Rehabilitation

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the stress level of chronic stroke patients and its associations with factors such as neuropathic pain, sleep disorder, and socioeconomic status were quantified. Method: Thirty chronic stroke patients aged 18 years and above who were undergoing rehabilitation were included in the study. The Adult Self-Report (K-ASR) was used to evaluate stress levels in these patients. Results: The mean K-ASR t scores were in the normal range, and only three patients (10%) had scores in the clinical range. Stress levels as indicated by the K-ASR were related to annual income (rho = -0.391, p = 0.033), neuropathic pain (rho = 0.457, p = 0.011), and sleep disorder (rho = 0.188, p = 0.041). Conclusion: Overall stress levels of chronic stroke patients were not high compared to those of the general population. In addition, we found that stress levels were strongly and significantly associated with neuropathic pain, annual income, and sleep disorder.