Aben, Heijenbrok-Kal, Ponds, Busschbach, & Ribbers (2014) | To determine the impact of new memory self-efficacy therapy on PSD | N = 153
RCT of MSE training or peer support group | Nine 1-hour sessions twice per week | ≥ 18 months post-stroke onset | CES-D | Depression scores decreased in both groups but did not reach significance (p = 0.15) |
Alexopoulos et al. (2012) | To determine the efficacy of ecosystem-focused therapy (EFT) in reducing depression and disability in PSD | N = 24
RCT of EFT weekly sessions or education on stroke and depression | One session/week (45 minutes) for 12 weeks | Admission to rehabilitation hospital | PHQ-9, HAM-D | Greater decline in depressive symptoms and signs for EFT; eight of 12 in EFT group achieved remission of depression |
Calabrò et al. (2015) | To evaluate the Lokomat-related psychological impact of gait robotic rehabilitation post-stroke | N = 29
Patients treated with robotic neurorehabilitation after 30 days of treatment suspension; longitudinal design | Conventional treatment of five 1-hour sessions/week for 8 weeks; 30-day treatment suspension; five sessions/week for 8 weeks (minimum of 30 minutes) using Lokomat | Study began at least 6 months from stroke onset | HAM-D | Significant differences in depression (p < 0.01) between those who received conventional treatment and those who received robotic treatment |
Chan, Immink, & Hillier (2012) | To determine if yoga participation would facilitate improvements in self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in post-stroke population | N = 14
RCT of an exercise only group (control) versus a yoga + exercise group (intervention) | One 90-minute session/week for 6 weeks; 24 sessions at home for 40 minutes | Minimum 6 months post-stroke | GDS-15 | No significant difference between groups for depression |
Davis (2004) | To determine the impact of life review therapy on depression and life satisfaction in stroke survivors with right hemispheric lesion | N = 14
Randomized to intervention receiving life review therapy or control receiving three 1-hour videos of neutral content with discussion; posttest-only control group | Three 1-hour sessions | 6 months from stroke onset | Zung Scale for Depression | A significantly lower level of depression (p < 0.01) and significantly higher degree of life satisfaction (p < 0.01) in the life review therapy group |
Hadidi, Lindquist, Buckwalter, & Savik (2014) | To determine the impact of PST on stroke survivors' depressive symptoms and function during rehabilitation | N = 22
RCT of treatment group receiving PST versus control group receiving standard of care | 10 weeks of 1.5-hour sessions | Within 48 hours from stroke onset | CES-D | Depressive symptoms scores in treatment group decreased from 8.7 to 3.1 in 10-week period while control group remained unchanged (7.8 after 10 weeks) |
Jun, Roh, & Kim (2013) | To evaluate the effectiveness of combined music– movement therapy on physical and psychological functioning | N = 40
RCT music therapy versus standard treatment | Three 1-hour sessions/week for 8 weeks | Within 2 weeks of stroke onset | CES-D | Scores for depression did not show statistically significant difference between groups |
Kang, Sok, & Kang (2009) | To examine the impact of meridian acupressure on PSD, ADLs, and function of affected extremities | N = 56
RCT meridian acupressure versus routine care | One 10-minute session/day for 2 weeks | Minimum of 2 weeks from stroke onset | Depression scale developed by Beyer (1984) | Significant differences in depression (t = 8.16, p = 0.001) between the experimental and control groups |
Kim, Park, et al. (2011) | To examine the impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognition and mood in stroke patients | N = 30
Prospective double-blind randomized to sham; low and high frequency stimulation groups (three groups) | Five sessions/week for 2 weeks; time varied according to frequency | Minimum of 1 month from stroke onset | BDI | BDI score for high frequency group was significantly lower than post-treatment scores in the low stimulation and sham groups (Kruskal-Wallis, mean = 13.8, SD = 8.5 versus mean = 3.3, SD = 2.3 versus mean = 14, SD = 8.3; p = 0.02) |
Kim, Chun, Kim, & Lee (2011) | To investigate the effects of music therapy on depressive mood and anxiety | N = 18
RCT of music intervention or routine care control | Two 40-minute sessions/week for 4 weeks | Within 6 months of stroke onset | BDI | Statistically significant decrease in BDI scores (p = 0.048) |
Lai et al. (2006) | To examine the effect of exercise on post-stroke depressive symptoms | N = 100
Single-blinded RCT of exercise or usual care; part of parent study, secondary data analysis | Three sessions/week for 12 weeks (no duration noted) | Upon completion of acute rehabilitation | GDS-15 | GDS scores and rates of significant depressive symptoms were lower in the exercise group compared to the usual care group immediately after the intervention |
Lincoln & Flannaghan (2003) | To evaluate cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a treatment for PSD | N = 123
RCT (three groups: CBT, attention placebo intervention, and standard care); attention placebo intervention comprised 1-hour visits for 3 months by a psychiatric nurse and conversation about daily events | 10 1-hour sessions | Variable, up to 5 years from stroke onset | Wakefield Self-Assessment of Depression Inventory and BDI | No statistically significant difference in depression between groups at baseline and 3 and 6 months |
Linder et al. (2015) | To determine the effectiveness of home-based, robot-assisted rehabilitation with an exercise program compared with the exercise program alone on PSD and quality of life | N = 99
RCT (single-blinded) of home exercise program and robot-assisted therapy (intervention) or home exercise program (control) | 8-week home intervention; 3 hours of prescribed intervention 5 days/week for 8 weeks within 12-week period | <6 months post-stroke before start of intervention | CES-D | Equivalent results for depression in both groups |
Lund, Michelet, Sandvik, Wyller, & Sveen (2011) | To evaluate the effectiveness of a lifestyle group intervention on occupation, social participation, and well-being | N = 86
RCT of a lifestyle course and physical activity (intervention) or physical activity alone (control) | One session/week for 9 months for both groups, 2-hour lifestyle sessions, 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity | 12 months post-stroke | SF-36 | No significant differences between lifestyle intervention and physical activity alone |
Mitchell et al. (2008) | To determine the efficacy of PST on PSD | N = 101
RCT of either brief psychosocial/behavioral intervention and anti-depressant or usual care including antidepressant | Nine sessions over 2 months | Within 4 months of stroke onset | HAM-D | Significantly greater decrease in depression in the intervention group compared to control group at 1 year (mean = −9.2, SD = 5.7 versus mean = −6.2, SD = 6.4; p = 0.02) |
Peng et al. (2015) | Evaluate changes in anxiety and depression in post-stroke patients following neurolin-guistic programming (NLP) brief therapy plus health education | N = 180
RCT of NLP and health education or usual care | Two sessions/week for 2 weeks, 60 to 120 minutes per session while hospitalized | Intervention within 3 months of stroke and hospitalization; 6 months post-intervention measurement | HAM-D | NLP plus health education reduced depression immediately after intervention but not after 6 months |
Robinson et al. (2008) | To determine whether treatment with escitalopram or PST for non-depressed stroke survivors will decrease the number of depression cases who develop compared with placebo and medication | N = 176
RCT (three groups): antidepressant, placebo, and PST | 12 sessions: six treatments and six reinforcements over 1 year | Within the first year following stroke | DSM-IV | Significantly lower incidence of depression in escitalopram or PST as compared with placebo, but PST did not achieve significant results over placebo using the intention-to-treat analysis |
Shiflett, Nayak, Bid, Miles, & Angostinelli (2002) | Examining the impact of Reiki as an adjuvant therapy on post-stroke function and depression | N = 50
RCT, double-blinded to four conditions: Reiki master, Reiki practitioner, sham Reiki, and control | 10 treatments over 2.5 weeks | Acute onset after stroke in rehabilitation | CES-D | No significant difference between sham and real Reikis on depression scores |
Søndergaard, Jarden, Martiny, Andersen, & Bech (2006) | To investigate the impact of the addition of medium (4,000 Lux) and high (10,000 Lux) light treatment to antidepressant drugs on PSD | N = 63
RCT, double blind (two groups) to high intensity light daily at 30-cm distance or medium light intensity at 60-cm distance | 10 sessions of 30 minutes of light therapy every morning | Acute stroke | HAM-D | After 4 weeks of therapy, there was a statistically significant improvement in depression in the high intensity light treatment group compared to the medium intensity light treatment group (p < 0.05) |
Wang (2010) | Impact of tai chi for stroke patients | N = 34
RCT single-blinded to tai chi or rehabilitation | 50 minutes of tai chi once per week for 12 weeks for both groups | Rehabilitation | GHQ-28 | Significant but different changes over time in groups for GHQ severe depression score (p = 0.02). No significant difference between tai chi and control groups in GHQ-28 scores at start and end points. |
Watkins et al. (2007) | To determine if motivational interviewing can benefit patients' mood 3 months post-stroke | N = 411
RCT, intervention group received four individual weekly sessions of motivational interviewing in addition to usual care, and control group received usual care only | Four 30- to 60-minute weekly sessions | Five to 28 days post-stroke | GHQ-28, Yale screening for depression | Significant impact of motivational interviewing over usual care at 3 months (p = 0.03, OR: 1.60, 95% CI [1.06, 2.58]); depression screening (p = 0.03, OR: 1.65, 95% CI [1.06, 2.58]); 1-year follow up (p = 0.02, OR: 1.66, 95% CI [1.08, 2.55]) |