This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Clark, M. S Articles by Winsor, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Clark, M. S Articles by Winsor, A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A randomized controlled trial of an education and counselling intervention for families after stroke

Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia

Sally Rubenach

Population Health Research Centre, ACT Health, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia

Adrian Winsor

Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia

Objectives: To determine whether education and counselling after stroke leads to improved family functioning and psychosocial outcomes for stroke patients and their spouses, and better functional and social outcomes for patients.

Design: Two-group randomized controlled trial. Data were collected on admission to and discharge from rehabilitation, and again six months later.

Setting: Rehabilitation units at Repatriation General Hospital and Griffith Hospital, in Adelaide, South Australia.

Participants: Sixty-two stroke patients and their spouses, 32 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group.

Intervention: Stroke information package and three visits from a social worker trained in family counselling.

Outcome measures: Family functioning: McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD); functional status: Barthel Index (BI); social recovery: Adelaide Activities Profile (AAP); depression: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS); anxiety: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); mastery: Mastery Scale (MS); health status: SF-36.

Results: At six months the intervention group had better family functioning for both patients (mean FAD difference 0.19) and spouses (mean difference 0.09). A modest benefit in functional status for intervention patients (mean BI difference 1.3) was related to improved family functioning. Intervention patients reported better social recovery (mean AAP differences: domestic chores 5.7, household maintenance 4.6, social activities 11.5), but there were no significant effects on depression, anxiety, mastery or health status.

Conclusions: An education and counselling intervention maintained family functioning, and in turn led to improved functional and social patient outcomes. This approach helps patients and their spouses to make the optimal adjustment to living with stroke.

Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 17, No. 7, 703-712 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0269215503cr681oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K.A. Ertel, M.M. Glymour, T.A. Glass, and L.F. Berkman Frailty modifies effectiveness of psychosocial intervention in recovery from stroke Clinical Rehabilitation, June 1, 2007; 21(6): 511 - 522. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. Hoffmann, K. McKenna, L. Worrall, and S. J. Read Randomised trial of a computer-generated tailored written education package for patients following stroke Age Ageing, May 1, 2007; 36(3): 280 - 286. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bjorkdahl, A{d.}s. L. Nilsson, G. Grimby, and K. S. Sunnerhagen Does a short period of rehabilitation in the home setting facilitate functioning after stroke? A randomized controlled trial Clinical Rehabilitation, December 1, 2006; 20(12): 1038 - 1049. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Redfern, C. McKevitt, and C. D.A. Wolfe Development of Complex Interventions in Stroke Care: A Systematic Review Stroke, September 1, 2006; 37(9): 2410 - 2419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Robinson, J. Francis, P. James, N. Tindle, K. Greenwell, and H. Rodgers Caring for carers of people with stroke: developing a complex intervention following the Medical Research Council framework Clinical Rehabilitation, May 1, 2005; 19(5): 560 - 571. [Abstract] [PDF]