Change in Positive Emotion and Recovery of Functional Status Following Stroke

• Published in: Rehabilitation psychology 2010-02, Vol.55 (1), p.33-39
• Main Authors: Seale, Gary S, Berges, Ivonne-Marie, Ottenbacher, Kenneth J, Ostir, Glenn V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ability Level; Affect; Aged; Cerebrovascular Accidents; Emotions; Expressed Emotion; Female; Functional Status; Hospitalization; Human; Humans; Inpatient; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Male; Positive affect; Positive Emotions; Prevalence; Quality of life; Recovery; Recovery (Disorders); Recovery of Function; Rehabilitation; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke - epidemiology; Stroke - physiopathology; Strokes
• ISSN: 0090-5550; 1939-1544
• DOI: 10.1037/a0018744

Objectives: To investigate change in positive emotion over a 3-month follow-up period and determine whether this change is associated with recovery of functional status in persons with stroke. Design: A longitudinal study using information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Patients (SRUP) database. Positive emotion and functional status were assessed within 72 hours of discharge from an in-patient medical rehabilitation facility and at 3-month follow-up using established measurement instruments. Participants: The study included 840 adults 55 years old or older with a first-time stroke and admitted to one of eleven in-patient medical rehabilitation facilities in the United States. Results : The mean age was 72.9 ( SD = 9.52) years, 78.6% were non-Hispanic white and 51.7% were women. The average length of stay was 20.2 ( SD =10.1) days and the most prevalent type of stroke was ischemic (75.0%). Positive emotion increased for 35.6% of the sample, decreased for 29.2%, and 35.2% reported no change. Increases in positive emotion change score compared to no change ( b = −3.2, SE = 1.5, p = .032) or a decline ( b = −8.9, SE = 1.4, p =