# Trends in mental health, use of mental health services and disparities among stroke survivors in the United States: 2004-2016

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $156,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The improvement in stroke survivorship over the past decades highlights the importance of post-stroke
outcome research. Depression and psychological distress are among the most common post-stroke mental
health conditions. Nearly one-third of stroke survivors experience depression at some point after stroke.
Although the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines recommend screening and
treatment for depression in stroke patients, post-stroke depression remains underdiagnosed and
undermanaged. Depressive symptoms are not only disabling in their own right, but also interfere with functional
recovery. Antidepressants, the first-line treatment for post-stroke depression, have also been increasingly
prescribed for motor recovery in stroke rehabilitation settings in the past decade. However, recent randomized
controlled trial evidence puts antidepressant use for functional outcomes under debate. Meanwhile, the
dramatic increase in mental health service use in the general population since the 1990s may also have
influenced trends in the stroke population. However, there is no population-level overview of mental health
status and services use among stroke survivors in the United States, and little is known about mental health
and mental health care disparities in the evolving context of stroke and stroke care. The overall goal of this
proposal is to examine national trends in mental health, use of mental health services and disparities among
stroke survivors from 2004 to 2016. Specifically, we will use nationally representative data from the Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey to examine (1) national trends in prevalence of depression and serious
psychological distress, (2) national trends in use and underuse of mental health services, including
psychotherapy and antidepressants, (3) potential differences in these trends across sociodemographic groups,
and (4) the extent to which trends in mental health among stroke survivors are attributable to changes in their
use of mental health services. Findings of the research will provide insights into gaps and opportunities in post-
stroke mental health care, and identify vulnerable sociodemographic groups in need of increased attention.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9892332
- **Project number:** 1R03NS111194-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** LYNDA D LISABETH
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $156,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9892332

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9892332, Trends in mental health, use of mental health services and disparities among stroke survivors in the United States: 2004-2016 (1R03NS111194-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9892332. Licensed CC0.

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