Patients’ strategies of coping with stress after stroke

Introduction
Stress is an inherent aspect of everyone’s life, particularly for individuals who have experienced a cerebral stroke and face the resultant physical and mental challenges. The study aimed to assess the perceived stress and coping strategies of patients in the neurological rehabilitation ward who had experienced a stroke.

Material and methods
The study involved 201 stroke patients, comprising 87 (43%) women and 114 (57%) men. The study was carried out at the Rehabilitation Department, which encompasses the Department of Neurological Rehabilitation in the Podkarpackie Province. The research methods included the Mini-Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE), the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and the Mini Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Mini-COPE).

Results
A high level of stress was observed in 57.5% of the women and 64.9% of the men. Women most frequently reported using the following methods to cope with stress: Acceptance, Turning to religion, and Seeking emotional support. Men, on the other hand, reported employing strategies such as Active coping and Acceptance.

Conclusions
Following a cerebral stroke, most patients experienced high levels of stress. The study revealed that older patients were less likely to employ stress-coping strategies, such as Active coping, Planning, Positive revaluation, and Sense of humour. However, as patients aged, they tended to favour methods like Turning to religion, Denial, and Withdrawal from activities. A statistically significant relationship was found between the location of the stroke and strategies such as Sense of humour, Unloading, and Blaming oneself. It is important to emphasise that stress should be routinely addressed in clinical practice.