Psychosocial Factors Related to Stroke Patients’ Rehabilitation Motivation: A Scoping Review and Meta-Analysis Focused on South Korea

Abstract

The incidence of strokes in individuals in their 30–40 s—who have responsibilities towards their families—has increased. Additionally, many stroke patients suffer from post-stroke disabilities and require rehabilitation. However, especially in younger stroke patients, factors such as financial burden and the inability to be productive lead to depression and thereby, the lack of rehabilitation motivation—which affects their therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, medical interventions alone are not sufficient. This study aimed to identify the psychosocial factors that affect stroke patients’ rehabilitation motivation. Hence, a scoping review was conducted to analyze the research trends across South Korean academic papers and theses, followed by a comprehensive meta-analysis to identify the correlations among the variables. Eighteen factors related to rehabilitation motivation were identified. The internal factors were depression, cognition, self-efficacy, self-esteem, disability acceptance, volition, communication, resilience, empowerment, and uncertainty. The external factors included sleep pattern, quality of life, activities of daily living, physical function, social support, financial burden, disease-related characteristics, and rehabilitation environment. Based on these findings, an intervention model should be developed to provide social support to stroke patients. Moreover, psychological interventions should be developed to enhance the self-efficacy of stroke patients who are undergoing rehabilitation.