England, a psychiatrist, is president of the Washington Business Group on Health and serves on the advisory council of the National Institute of Mental Health. Emotional problems tend to get put on the back burner. When you understand this depression is due to a physical injury, that emphasizes that depression and mental functioning in stroke patients can and do get better. Kenton is professor of clinical neurology at the Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and chair of the advisory committee of the American Stroke Association. But for many patients with post-stroke depression, some form of talking therapy can be very helpful, in addition to medication, says Zorowitz.
Individual therapy offers the patient an appropriate setting to vent emotions.
Group therapy can be even more useful, because it shows patients they are not alone in their particular situation. Illustrated Guide . People who suffer from strokes may experience depression, and should seek medical attention for the condition as soon as possible. Research shows that when depressed stroke patients are treated, improvements in mental functioning are seen. Symptoms of depression include feeling hopeless and despondent, moving more slowly, avoiding activities previously enjoyed, eating less, and either having difficulty sleeping or sleeping all the time.