ABSTRACT

Objective : The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between depression, motivation for re-habilitation, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and quality of life in stroke patients, and to improve their quality of life by providing clinical intervention technigues for staff members assisting stroke patients in the fields of medicine and social welfare.Methods : This investigation was performed using 123 stroke patients who obtained 24 points and above on an MMSE-K: some of them were being hospitalized or treated as outpatients at 14 general hospitals, 2 rehabilitation hospitals, or 1 community rehabilitation center. In order to measure their depression, moti-vation for rehabilitation, activities of daily living, and quality of life, the researcher used BDI, an instru-ment to measure diabled patient's motivation for rehabilitation, as well as an MBI and SS-QOL.Results : The quality of life of stroke patients was negatively correlated with their depression (p<.001) and positively correlated with their ADL (p<.001). Among the sociological characteristics of the population, the factors affecting their quality of life were depression (p<.001), ADL (p<.001), and monthly income (p<.05). These variables explained 47.9% of the aspects of their quality of life.Conclusion : These findings suggest the following alternatives to improve the quality of life of stroke patients. Early diagnosis and intervention in psychological and emotional problems such as depression and anxiety are necessary for their rehabilitation after their first stroke, and thus we need to make an effort to eliminate negative factors in their reuality of life. Also, practitioners need to provide the opportunity for vocational rehabilitation for their patients. These support methods can provide various programs that will help patients create a secondary goal-directed and intrinsic motivation for themselves.