LONG-TERM OUTCOME AFTER STROKE - A DISABILITY-ORIENTATED APPROACH

The impact of stroke on both patients and family is extensive. This st udy describes the degree of disability experienced by both after strok e, with special emphasis given to psychosocial dysfunction. One hundre d and sixty-five patients who suffered a stroke in the past 5 years an d their proxies filled in a mail-delivered Sickness Impact Profile (SI P). After each SIP category, a 5-point scale was added to determine th e extent to which items in that category were experienced as a problem . Also an inventory was made of desired help. Results showed that stro ke has a very high impact on everyday functioning, as indicated by a t otal SIP score of 20. The results showed that psychosocial disabilitie s arise independent of the degree of physical disabilities, that these problems are chronic, and that they hinder 52% of patients often perm anently. It can be argued that in addition to a motor- or function-ori entated approach, psychosocial treatment programmes are urgently neede d.