Odds of being in complete mental health up more than fourfold for those with at least one confidant
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More than two-thirds of stroke survivors aged 50 years or older report being in complete mental health (CMH), according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the Journal of Aging and Health.
Esme Fuller-Thomson, Ph.D., and Lisa A. Jensen, M.S.W., from the University of Toronto, estimated the prevalence of CMH among stroke survivors aged 50 years and older using nationally representative data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health for 11,157 individuals (300 stroke survivors). CMH included the absence of any past-year mental illness, almost-daily happiness or satisfaction, and psychological and social well-being.
The researchers found that 68 percent of stroke survivors were in CMH. The odds of CMH were increased for those with at least one confidant; those without disabling chronic pain; and those without a history of childhood maltreatment, depression, or generalized anxiety disorders (odds ratios, 4.34, 2.34, 2.1, 3.83, and 3.42, respectively).
“We hope that these findings of incredible resiliency in stroke survivors are encouraging to stroke patients, their families and the health profession. There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Fuller-Thomson said in a statement.
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