Question
My mom had a stroke about seven months ago. Although she is slowly recovering from it, she seems depressed to me. Is this just part of the recovery, or should I talk to her about it so that she can get some sort of treatment?
Answer
Depression is a common occurrence after stroke and can occur in approximately 20-60 percent of stroke patients, depending on which research study you look at. The depressive symptoms may be in addition to the stroke symptoms, and may actually delay the patient's recovery from their stroke.
If a patient has symptoms consistent with depression, we recommend that they see their primary doctor or a psychiatrist/psychologist for this problem, to determine if treatment is indicated.