Spouses of first-ever stroke patients: psychological well-being in the first phase after stroke

• BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A stroke affects not only the patient but also the spouse. To better support the spouse during the acute phase of stroke, knowledge is needed about his or her experience with the situation. The aim of the present study was to study the well-being of the spouses of stroke patients during the acute state of stroke and to identify factors that may influence their well-being. METHODS: Eighty-three consecutively enrolled spouses of first-ever stroke patients <75 years old participated. Their psychological well-being, measured by the Psychological General Well-Being Index 10 days after the stroke, was compared with norm values. Multiple analyses of correlation were performed to investigate the effects on psychological well-being of (1) age and sex, (2) level of impairment of the stroke patient, and (3) intrapersonal variables such as previous life satisfaction and view of the future. RESULTS: The study group showed significantly lower psychological well-being compared with norm values except for the dimension of general health. The variables that correlated significantly with the Psychological General Well-Being total score were the sensorimotor impairment of the stroke patient and the "view of the future." This view of the future also correlated significantly with the level of functional ability of the stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: During the acute phase of stroke, the severity of the stroke has an impact on the spouse's image of his or her future life, whereas the individual appraisal of personal consequences and of his or her own coping capacity seems to have a greater impact on the psychological well-being of the spouses than does the objective state of disability.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsterapi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Therapy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Acute Disease

Adaptation

Psychological

Adult

Aged

Caregivers/*psychology

Cerebrovascular Accident/*psychology

Female

Humans

Longitudinal Studies

Male

Middle Aged

Quality of Life

Spouses/psychology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)