Stroke Survivors with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder More Likely to Avoid Treatment

A new survey of stroke survivors shows that those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are less likely to adhere to treatment regimens that reduce the risk of an additional stroke.

Researchers found that 65 percent of stroke survivors with PTSD failed to adhere to treatment, compared to 33 percent of those without PTSD. The survey also suggests that non-adherence in PTSD patients is partly explained by increased ambivalence toward medication. Among stroke survivors with PTSD, approximately one in three (38 percent) had concerns about their medications.

Results of the study, led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers, appear in the British Journal of Health Psychology. For more information, click here to read the full release.