腦中風在台灣地區自1963年至1981年為我國十大死因首位，自1982年至今，腦中風仍高居為國人十大死亡原因第二位，每年奪走萬餘人寶貴生命，並成為台灣中老年人肢體殘障失能的主因。
中風後病患常伴隨程度不一的憂鬱現象，進而增加失能、認知功能損傷及自殺率、死亡率。本研究目的在探討中風失能患者自我概念、社會支持與憂鬱間之相關性。研究採立意取樣於中部三所醫學中心，因腦中風(出血或缺血)住院二週病患，以人口學特性(基本屬性、疾病特性)、肢體殘障自我概念量表、社會支持量表、貝克憂鬱量表彙整之結構式問卷為研究工具，訪談72位樣本，結果發現：樣本平均年齡68.56歲，憂鬱發生率為56.9%，其中輕度11%，中度22.2%，重度23.6%；樣本的失能程度越嚴重者，所呈現憂鬱程度越高；自我概念與憂鬱間呈顯著相關，若樣本對自我的描述、自我概念較負向者憂鬱程度較高，以上研究顯示自我概念為中風後憂鬱的最佳預測因子；在社會支持與憂鬱間之關係，結果呈現負相關，即樣本所感受到外界環境在情感性、價值性、訊息性，實質性的支持越滿意，所呈現憂鬱程度越低，研究發現樣本社會支持來源以家人為主，感受到的以實質性支持最多，價值性支持最少。
中風後病患需經歷漫長的復健過程，而中風後伴隨的憂鬱現象是中風病患復健意願與恢復成效的障礙，本研究結果對建立臨床護理執業標準，在職教育之內容策劃均有效益，並助於增加中風病患身心安適及生活品質。
Stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) has been the second leading cause of death for all ages in Taiwan since 1983. Depression is a common occurrence after stroke. Post-Stroke Depression is associated with increased disability, cognitive impairment and increased suicidality and mortality. The purpose of this study was to explore self-concept, social support and depression related factors in disabled patients with stroke.
Purposive sampling was used to recruit seventy-two subjects (average age 68.56) select from stroke (hemorrhage or ischemic) inpatients who have stayed in the three medical centers in central part of Taiwan for two weeks. The research method were interviewed with a structural questionnaire including demographic data, Barthel index, self-concept, social support and Beck depression inventory scale. The major findings of this study were: (1) Depressions prevalence 56.9% of the subjects, among which 11% are mild depression, 22.2% are moderate and 23.6% are severe depression. (2) Physical function was related to depression. The higher the severity of disability, the more severe the depression will be. (3) self-concept and depression ware significantly negative correlated. Subjects who have negative self-description and self-concept suffer higher degrees of depressions. The result above shows self-concept is the major factor for predicting post-stroke depression. (4) Social support and depression were negatively correlated.
Stroke patients have to go through a lengthy process of rehabilitation. But, post-stroke depressions often retarded their willingness to accept therapies and hinder their progress in rehabilitation. Outcomes of this study will help establish clinical nursing standard for post-stroke depressions, contribute to the contents of on-job training and thereby enhance stroke patients’ holistic care and quality of life.
