No abstract

Depression is estimated to be the third leading cause of disability and about 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide. Various biological, social, economic, cultural factors and environmental factors contribute for depression. A total of 102 patients were enrolled in the study. Majority of the patients (64, 62.74%) included in the study were female. The mean age of the study subjects was found to be 20.4±11.88 years. The severity of symptoms in depressed patients evaluated using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) shows that 33.33% of the subjects were very severely depressed, followed by 29.41% of the subjects with moderate depression, 23.52 % with severe depression and 11.76% with mild depression. Quality of life was evaluated using WHOQOL BREF Scale in the study population. 51.96 % of subjects were having low quality of life (QoL) followed by 48% of subjects with medium QoL and 0.98% subjects with high QoL. Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation (MSSI) was used to evaluate severity of suicidal ideation in study population. Interpretation of results shows that 74.50% were having low suicidal ideation and few subjects (8.82%) were found to have severe suicidal ideation. Depression negatively impacts individual’s functioning, work satisfaction, relationships, leisure, physical and mental health, sexual functioning, sleep patterns and overall sense of fulfilment and contentment with life. Severe form of depression can lead to suicidal risk, increased risk of morbidity, mortality, substantial imbalance on individual’s occupational potential,  significant physical and psychosocial impairment.

Depression is a common illness worldwide. Social, psychological and biological factors can lead to depression. Chronic illness among the elderly is a significant reason affecting mental health. Often it is not diagnosed correctly. An observational study was conducted to assess the quality of life and the incidence of depression in post-stroke patients. Subjects were recruited to the study by investigations during ward/OP visits. The subjects were briefed about the study, and informed consent was obtained. Data were collected using various study tools and analyzed statistically by computing proportion for all qualitative data and mean, standard deviation, median, the interquartile range for quantitative data. A total of 50 subjects were enrolled in the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Severe cognitive impairment was revealed in 14% of the patients. The burden of depression and severity was evaluated using Patient health questionnaire-9 and Hamilton depression scale, respectively. It was found that 22 subjects (44%) had moderate depression, while 2 (4%) had severe depression. The functionality of the subjects was measured and found that 18% of subjects were 'dependent' on their caregiver. SSQOL assessment showed the lowest score in the domains 'work & productivity' and 'energy". As much as treating the etiological factors of stroke, dealing with the mental aspect of stroke is necessary. Assessing and treating post-stroke depression is essential to reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients. Hence, early assessment and management of mental health after stroke is necessary to prevent a chance of developing another stroke.