Mental health and stroke

Depression and anxiety each affect around a third of people in the first year following their stroke. It is also common to experience both depression and anxiety at the same time.

Depression or anxiety can be ‘hidden’ by the other effects of stroke and can be difficult to recognise. It may help to look out for some key signs to decide whether you, or someone close to you, may be experiencing depression and/or anxiety:

• feeling tired and lacking energy
• eating too much or too little
• sleeping too much or too little
• trouble relaxing
• losing interest in things that were once enjoyed
• worrying that awful things will happen
• feeling angry, sad or unmotivated
• feeling nervous and anxious often
• difficulty thinking and concentrating
• feeling shame or failure
• feeling like other people don’t understand
• getting irritated by others, and wanting to be left alone
• feeling empty or lonely

If you think you are experiencing depression and/or anxiety following your stroke, the most important thing is to talk to someone. It helps to speak to someone you trust – a friend, whānau member or elder.

Visit your family doctor or primary care nurse. They can talk to you about what you are going through and how to manage it – with talking therapy (counselling) or medication – or a combination of both.

If stroke has caused communication and understanding difficulties, it may be helpful to use the services of a speech and language therapist before talking with a counsellor or psychologist.