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Approximately 33% of stroke survivors are affected with post-stroke depression and, according to a new study, it is the uncertainty about the outcome of their illness that can be linked to depression in stroke patients. The study also says that this effect is more evident in men than women.

"Male stroke survivors in the US who subscribe to traditional health-related beliefs may be accustomed to, and value highly, being in control of their health," says lead investigator Michael J. McCarthy, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati College of Health Sciences School of Social Work.

"For these individuals, loss of control due to infirmity caused by stroke could be perceived as a loss of power and prestige. These losses, in turn, may result in more distress and greater depressive syndromes."

For the study, the researchers recruited 36 stroke survivors (16 female, 20 male) who experienced their first stroke in the past 3 years.

Then, the researchers checked the survivors for depressive symptoms and their ability to perform daily activities like bathing, eating with a knife and fork, etc.

The extent of health ambiguity experienced by the patients was evaluated by their agreement with statements such as "I don't know what's wrong with me," and "I have a lot of questions without answers," Medical Xpress reported.

The researchers found that health ambiguity was significantly associated with greater depression for both males and females, though the effect was found to be more pronounced in men.

"These findings suggest that reducing health ambiguity through proactive communication with patients and family members may be an effective approach for reducing survivor distress and, ultimately, for improving rehabilitation outcomes, says Dr. McCarthy.

"They also reinforce the importance of rehabilitation professionals acknowledging that health-related beliefs can have a tangible impact on patient outcomes."

Dr. McCarthy also noted that during the study, different patients were possibly at different stages of recovery with respect to health ambiguity and depressive syndromes after the stroke. Since the sample size of the participants was small, the findings could not be generalized for the broader stroke population, he added.

"Future research, with more socioeconomically diverse samples, should examine how gender-based health-related beliefs affect survivor outcomes, and explore the factors that protect female stroke survivors from the harmful effects of health ambiguity," he concludes.

The study was published in the current issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.