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Role of mH ealth in overcoming the occurrence of post‐stroke depression
Author(s) -
Miranda J. J.,
Moscoso M. G.,
Toyama M.,
Cavero V.,
DiezCanseco F.,
Ovbiagele B.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/ane.12832
Subject(s) - mhealth , stroke (engine) , mental health , telemedicine , medicine , depression (economics) , quality of life (healthcare) , psychological resilience , stroke recovery , rehabilitation , health care , psychology , psychiatry , physical therapy , nursing , psychological intervention , mechanical engineering , engineering , economics , macroeconomics , psychotherapist , economic growth
Depression associated with stroke affects roughly one‐third of stroke survivors. Post‐stroke depression ( PSD ) is thought to adversely influence functional outcome by limiting participation in rehabilitation, decreasing physical, social, and cognitive function, and affecting neuroplasticity thereby placing stroke survivors at high risk for future vascular events. PSD has also been associated with higher mortality rates after stroke. In Peru, a country where there is no national stroke program and mental health disorders are largely underdiagnosed and untreated, people with PSD are likely to be further challenged by dependency and impoverished conditions that will limit their use of ambulatory services, leading to inadequate clinical follow‐up. In this scenario, mobile health ( mH ealth) technology offers a promising approach to extend access to high‐quality and culturally tailored evidence‐based psychological care to address PSD given that cell phone use, Internet connectivity, and digital health technology have met a rapid growth in the last years and thus contribute to the attainment of broader Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG s). The limited evidence of the effectiveness of mH ealth for PSD calls for researchers to fill a knowledge gap where Peru poses as an ideal setting because rapid expansion of digital technology and current mental healthcare reform could be leveraged to enhance post‐stroke outcomes. This article proposes the rationale for a suitable evidence‐driven, mH ealth‐based, PSD self‐management intervention called iMOODS —Investigating the role of mH ealth in overcoming occurrence of depression after stroke—that could be tested among recent stroke patients with PSD in resource constrained settings.