Correlations for social support with depression in the chronic poststroke period

This study examined correlations of social support with rated mood states, including depression, for 47 patients with cerebrovascular disease during the chronic poststroke period. After the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, four psychological measures, the Zung Self-depression Scale, the Hamilton Depression Scale, Profile of Mood States, and Social Support Scale, were administered. The patients with cerebrovascular disease exhibited significantly more psychiatric disorders, including depression, and had poorer social support than healthy controls. The severity of depression was significantly related to poor social support and particularly to the presence of social support rather than just the perception of poor social support. Depressed patients may also rate their support as poor because they are depressed. For some patients with cerebrovascular disease during the chronic poststroke period, depression may be related to low social support.