Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Following Stroke Among Patients at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State

Post-stroke depression is a common and debilitating complication that negatively affects functional recovery, yet its longitudinal course in Nigerian stroke patients has not been well characterized. This study examines the trajectories of depressive symptoms over 12 months following stroke among patients admitted to the neurology ward at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State, South South Nigeria. A prospective cohort design will recruit 120 adult stroke patients at hospital admission and follow them at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) will assess depressive symptoms at each time point. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) will identify distinct symptom trajectory classes. Clinical predictors, including stroke severity (NIHSS), lesion location, functional disability (Barthel Index), and social support, will be examined as predictors of unfavorable trajectories. Existing evidence from tertiary Nigerian hospitals suggests that post-stroke depression is underdetected, with fewer than 20 percent of affected patients receiving psychiatric treatment. This study will provide trajectory-based evidence to support psychiatric consultation-liaison services in neurology wards at UBTH. Keywords: post-stroke depression, trajectories, UBTH Edo State, neurorehabilitation, longitudinal