The consequences of stroke can extend beyond the person who experiences it. A new Swedish national register-based study examines whether the severity of a patient’s functional disability after stroke is associated with depression and anxiety among their partners and adult children.
Family members often play an important role in supporting and caring for people after a stroke. Previous research has shown that having a close relative experience a serious illness can affect mental health, but less is known about whether these consequences differ depending on the patient’s level of functional disability.
The researchers used Swedish national register data to identify people who had experienced a stroke and link them to their partners and adult children. They then examined the risk of depression and anxiety among family members in relation to the severity of the patient’s functional disability following the stroke.
Among partners, the risk of depression increased with the severity of the patient’s post-stroke disability. The pattern for anxiety differed: an increased risk was identified among female partners of patients with moderate functional disability, but not consistently across other groups.
For adult children, increased risks of both depression and anxiety were found among those whose parent had moderate post-stroke disability. The findings show that the consequences of stroke can extend across family relationships and suggest that the mental health needs of close family members should be considered when planning stroke rehabilitation and support.
Read more: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100662