Functional status and quality of life of stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation programmes in a hospital setting

BACKGROUND: While the positive effects of rehabilitation on physical functioning are well documented in stroke literature, more controversial results arise from the evaluation of the impact on quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to examine the associations among functional status and different measures of quality of life in a sample of inpatients undergoing rehabilitation programmes, and to consider the role of psychological distress, coping strategies and social support. METHODS: Twenty-nine stroke survivors were evaluated at the admission to a hospital-based Rehabilitation Unit and just before discharge. Questionnaires for the evaluation of functional status, health-related QoL, individualised QoL, psychological distress, coping strategies and social support were administered to them. RESULTS: While functional status improves significantly after treatment, individualised evaluations of QoL seem to be less affected. Adaptive coping strategies and social support showed significant correlations with positive outcomes on specific QoL domains, whereas psychological distress was associated with negative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The data from the present study support the evidence that different measures of QoL and functional status are not strongly associated one another, and that psychological distress, coping strategies and social support can be significantly related to specific outcome measures.