Health-related quality of life and psychological features in post-stroke patients with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study in the neuro-rehabilitation context of care

Abstract: This study aims at exploring disability, health-related quality of life (HrQoL), psycholog- ical distress, and psychological features in post-stroke patients with chronic pain. An observational cross-sectional study involving 50 post-stroke patients (25 with chronic pain and 25 without pain) was conducted. The primary outcome was the self-reported level of disability and HrQoL which were both assessed through the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0. Both psychological distress and specific psychological features (i.e., self-efficacy, coping strategies, psychological flexibility, perceived social support) were examined. Post-stroke patients with chronic pain reported statistically significant higher levels of disability and worse HrQoL, higher psychological distress and inflexibility, as well as a lower level of self-efficacy and problem-oriented coping strategies than patients without pain (p < 0.001). Finally, correlation analysis in the group of stroke survivors with pain showed that higher levels of disability were significantly related to higher psychological distress. This study con- firms the negative influence of chronic pain on disability and HrQoL in post-stroke patients and presents preliminary insights on the association between chronic pain, disability, HrQoL, psycho- social distress, and the patient’s approach in dealing with personal difficulties and emotions. These findings carry further implications for multidisciplinary management of post-stroke patients with chronic pain.