Stroke survivors with depression or anxiety who attend talking therapy sessions are more likely to recover from their psychological symptoms, finds a new study by UCL researchers.
The first of its kind study, published in Nature Mental Health, analysed data from all 1.9 million patients who attended NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression services in England between 2012 and 2019, including 7,597 stroke survivors.
More than one in three stroke survivors experience depression or anxiety. Without appropriate mental health treatment, recovery – both physical and cognitive – can be slower, and previous studies have shown that the risk of death may increase by 20-50% in the years following a stroke in those with depression compared to those without.
However, the researchers found that NHS…