Stroke induced PTSD: an analysis of symptomatology & exploration of effective intervention

There is growing evidence that survivors of stroke are reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with prevalence rates ranging from 12 to 25 percent. The development of PTSD following stroke impacts rates of substance abuse, medication non-adherence, sedentary behavior, and sleep disturbances. Given the impact of stroke-induced PTSD, there is a great need for effective mental health treatment that can target this disorder. In order to effectively treat PTSD in this population, more must be known about the nature of traumatic responses to stress in stroke survivors. This paper aims to describe the symptoms of PTSD in a stroke population who met provisional criteria for PTSD one month after visiting the emergency department at New York Presbyterian for stroke. To do this, this study conducted an exploratory analysis of stroke survivors’ scores on the PTSD Check List for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) one month following stroke. Both averages and the distribution of PCL-5 severity scores are described in order to further an understanding of the way in which PTSD is impacting stroke survivors. Following, an exploratory review was conducted to review clinical interventions for PTSD and to consider how these treatments might best map on to and be adapted to treat PTSD symptoms in stroke survivorPsy.D.Includes bibliographical reference