Sintomas de ansiedade e depressão podem ser determinantes de prejuízo na funcionalidade de indivíduos após AVC?

Abstract

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and is one of the 18 diseases that cause most disability in the world's population. Anxiety and depression symptoms are present in individuals affected by stroke. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of anxiety and depression symptoms on the functioning of individuals with a history of stroke. This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study, with a sample of individuals diagnosed with stroke and followed up in the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital. To evaluate functioning, we used the WHODAS 2.0 (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule) version 12 items applied by interview. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied to measure anxiety and depression symptoms. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to analyze cognitive impairment. The data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics by the Jamovi program version 2.0, considering a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). The sample obtained a total of 60 participants, with a mean age of 62.9 ± 28 years, and mostly females, overweight, without work activity and with incomplete elementary school education. It was not possible to establish statistical significance between the WHODAS 12 score and the HADS classification for anxiety. The same was seen in relation to the classification of symptoms of depression, but significant results were found when considering the WHODAS 12 score in patients classified with mild symptoms, showing greater impairment of functionality even in individuals with mild depressive symptoms. When functioning was considered as the main outcome correlated with the other variables, the MMSE and depression HADS scores correlated moderately with functioning. The results of the present study showed a significant prevalence of depressive symptoms in individuals after stroke, finding a proportion of 61.6%, being mostly classified as moderate symptoms. With regard to anxious symptoms, a total of 41.6% of the sample presented some symptom. When we associated depressive symptoms with functioning, we found no statistically significant correlation between worse functioning and more severe symptoms. Thus, we conclude that the classification of anxiety and depression symptoms was not considered a determinant of worse functioning in individuals with stroke.