Depression following a stroke is common, however a new study suggests that stroke survivors and their carers should be treated together, as the carer's mental state can play a key role in the patient's depression.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, depriving it of oxygen. As a result, some of the brain cells die and others are damaged. Around 10,000 people suffer a stroke in Ireland every year.

US scientists monitored the progress of 112 depressed stroke survivors up to two months after they were discharged from hospital. Their spouses, who were also their carers, were also monitored.

The scientists from the University of Kentucky found that the same factors appeared to influence depression in both the patients and the carers - i.e. a lack of optimism, low self-esteem and a lack of perceived control.

"We usually have been focused on the outcome of the stroke survivor, but we found that the self-esteem and optimism of the spouse caretaker is related to the patient's depression. When the spouse has a high level of self-esteem and optimism, the patient has lower levels of depression," they explained.

They noted that the impact of the carer's mental health is often not taken into consideration.

"This is an innovative and early analysis that considers the stroke patients and their caretaker spouses as a unit, not individually," they explained.

They insisted that when depression is present after a stroke, ‘intervention needs to be given not only to the patient, but to the caregiver spouse, to maximize the patient's outcome'.

"Maintaining an optimistic and positive view is very important not only for the patient, but for the caregiver spouse, so that quality of care for the patient can be improved," the team added.

Details of these findings were presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2013 in Hawaii.

For more information on depression, see our Depression Clinic here