Construction of a psychological intervention program for fear of recurrence in semi-disabled patients after stroke: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND

Post-stroke semi-incapacitated patients often experience a strong fear of disease recurrence, which adversely affects their psychological well-being and rehabilitation outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a psychological intervention program aimed at reducing the fear of recurrence in post-stroke semi-incapacitated patients.

METHODS

This study was conducted in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Post-stroke semi-incapacitated patients were recruited and assigned to either an intervention group or a control group according to the order of hospital admission. The control group received conventional psychological care, while the intervention group underwent a comprehensive psychological intervention program that included psychological support, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), rehabilitation training, and social support. The psychological status of the patients was assessed using the Fear of Disease Progression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Prior to the intervention, 83.5% of patients reported psychological fear of relapse, 75.5% experienced anxiety, 75.5% had depression, and 70.5% felt stressed. After the intervention, only 41.0% of patients in the intervention group had a psychological fear of relapse, 11.0% had anxiety, 2.0% had depression, and 5.0% perceived stress. The number of patients with psychological conditions was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The integrated psychological intervention program, which combined psychological support, CBT, rehabilitation training, and social support, was effective in reducing the fear of recurrence in semi-disabled patients after stroke.