We conclude that more emphasis should be given
to anxiety and depressive symptoms in acute stroke
units. In the short term, this may ease the patients’
personal anguish, and, in the longer term, even
improve their neurological outcome (Parikh et al.,
1990; Gainotti et al., 2001). Stroke patients with
low scores on BI and MMSE seem to be at particular
risk. The present study indicates that depressive
symptoms are less frequent than anxiety in the acute
stage of cerebrovascular disease. However, the prevalence
of depression increases later in the poststroke
period (Robinson et al., 1987; Robinson,
2003), and it is, therefore, of great importance to
keep the focus on both anxiety and depressive
symptoms throughout the rehabilitation phase. A
Follow-up study would reveal whether depressive
and anxiety symptoms in the acute stage of ischemic
stroke predict depression and anxiety later on in the
post-stroke period.