Clinical Effectiveness of Self-Management Education Post-Mild Stroke

Clinical Effectiveness of Self-Management Education Post-Mild Stroke

Individuals who have a mild stroke have a 44% risk of dying from a second stroke within 10 years which is in large part due to the cyclical relationship of chronic disease, poor health, and mild stroke which has gone largely unnoticed in the United States. Self-management intervention has been proven to be an effective intervention to increase healthy behaviors, improve overall health status, decrease healthcare utilization/cost, decrease depressive symptoms, and improve participation in people with a variety of chronic conditions; however, it has never be used with individuals with mild stroke. The critical next step and goal of this study is to evaluate if self-management intervention will improve health outcomes for persons with mild stroke. The overall hypothesis of this study is that self-management intervention will improve outcomes in the mild-stroke population.

Inclusion Criteria:

• a mild stroke as NIHSS total scores 0-5
• 18-90 years of age
• English speaking
• identified as having at least one other chronic condition besides stroke

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe aphasia (NIHSS aphasia score=2)
• moderate to severe cognitive impairment (MOCA < 21)
• history of dementia
• hemorrhagic stroke
• neurological diagnoses other than stroke
• major psychiatric illness (A diagnosis of bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder)
• a score of no-higher than 20 on the PHQ-9 indicating significant depressive symptoms
• terminal illness