Evaluation of social work on depression after stroke

This study investigates the contribution of social work in the alleviation of depression after stroke. Forty-four depressed stroke patients, all more than one year since stroke, were identified and randomly allocated to either a social work intervention group or a nontreatment group. After 16 weeks of intervention, no significant differences were found between the groups on the Wakefield Depression Inventory, General Health Questionnaire, Nottingham Health Profile, Life Satisfaction Index or Frenchay Activities Index. Therefore, social work involvement had no detectable effect on level of depression at this stage after stroke.