Personality Traits, Depression and Anxiety among Cerebro-vascular Stroke Patients: An Egyptian Study

Background: Over the past several decades, the relationship between personality traits, depression, anxiety and stroke has interested to clinicians and researchers.

Objective: Evaluation of personality traits, depression and anxiety among patients with stroke.

Methods: Thirty patients with stroke recruited from neurology department inpatients unit in Assiut university hospital. Another 50 subjects matched with respect to age, sex, and socioeconomic status formed the control group. For each participant, a complete medical history was obtained. Clinical examination, brain CT or MRI, and psychometric evaluation was performed for patients. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Hamilton anxiety and Beck Depression Inventory were used in assessment the psychometric state of patients.

Results: Patients with stroke reported significant higher scores in depression and anxiety. Psychoticism, lying and crime personality traits were significant higher among stroke patients compared with controls. Depression, anxiety were significant correlated with some of the personality traits subscales.

Conclusion: In our study stroke is associated with depression, anxiety and some abnormal personality traits.