Impact of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression on Cognition and Quality of Life in Stroke Patients

Abstract

Context: The pandemic has resulted in rapid spread of disease-causing fear in adults, children and unhealthy people. The enactment of national policies resulted in reduced outpatient visits in hospitals and perceived stress, anxiety and depression have become very common in neurological ill patients impacting their cognition and affecting their quality of life (QOL). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a sort of neuropsychiatric treatment which helps patients to cope up with stress, anxiety, and depression and it needs further research. Aim: The present study focuses on the understanding the effect of anxiety, stress, and depression on the cognition and QOL of neurological ill patents and the influence of CBT in improving the cognitive ability of stroke patients. Settings and Design: This experimental study was conducted on neurologically ill patients Materials and Methods Thirteen subjects diagnosed with stroke were given 3-week protocol for CBT. Pre- and postassessment was done to evaluate depression, stress, anxiety, cognition and QOL on the basis of outcome measures including Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test for cognition and Neuro-QOL Brief for QOL. Statistical Analysis Used: Correlation between DASS-21 and MoCA was done using Pearson's correlation coefficient test. Results: 40% of the patients suffered from depression, stress, and anxiety. The results of paired t-test for pre- and poststress, depression, and anxiety showed a significant result. There was a significant difference in the scores of precognition and postcognition. Conclusion: CBT is effective in reducing perceived stress, depression, and anxiety and thereby improving cognition and QOL of stroke patients.