Psychiatric morbidity in stroke patients attending a neurology clinic in Nigeria

Background: Stroke produces a wide range of mental and emotional disorders. Neuropsychiatric complications associated with stroke may have negative effects on the social functioning, overall quality of life and the recovery of motor functioning of stroke survivors. Objective: To determine the prevalence and nature of psychiatric morbidity among stroke patients attending neurology outpatient clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin-Nigeria. Methods: All patients with stroke aged 18 years and above at an outpatient neurology clinic in Ilorin, Nigeria were assessed for mental and emotional disorders using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) over one year (March 2009 to February 2010). Results: Overall prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was 36.0% (30/83) among 83 patients who constituted the study population. Specific diagnoses recorded were depression (19.2%), generalised anxiety disorder (9.6%), harmful alcohol use (2.4%); dementia, somatoform disorder, phobia and delusional disorder each had a prevalence of 1.2%. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity. Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders are often associated with stroke. Identifying and treating stroke patients with these psychiatric co-morbidities could thus help to improve the overall quality of life of these patients.