A WeChat-based caregiver education program improves satisfaction of stroke patients and caregivers, also alleviates poststroke cognitive impairment and depression: A randomized, controlled study

Caregiver education program has been applied to stroke patients, while its effect on mental health in stroke patients is still obscure. This study aimed to assess the impact of the WeChat-based caregiver education (WBCE) program on cognition, anxiety, and depression in stroke patients. Totally, 170 patients with ischemic stroke were included. They were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to the WBCE group (N = 86) and control care (CC) group (N = 84), and their caregivers received WBCE or CC for 12 months, respectively. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score was increased in the WBCE group compared with that in the CC group at the 9(th) month (M9) (27.2 ± 1.9 vs 26.6 ± 1.6, P = 0.017) and M12 (27.1 ± 1.8 vs 26.5 ± 1.5, P = 0.015), while cognitive impairment rate was decreased in WBCE group compared with that in CC group at 12(th) month (M12) (30.2% vs 45.2%, P=0.043). In the meantime, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for Anxiety score (6.5 ± 3.1 vs 7.5 ± 2.8, P = 0.020), HADS for depression score (6.7 ± 3.1 vs 7.7 ± 3.3, P = 0.040) and depression rate (33.7% vs 48.8%, P = 0.046) in WBCE group were reduced compared with those in CC group at M12. Besides, an elevation in the satisfaction score of patients at M12 (8.0 ± 1.2 vs 7.4 ± 1.2, P = 0.002) and that of caregivers at 6(th) months (M6) (6.6 ± 1.1 vs 6.2 ± 1.3, P = 0.038) and M12 (7.2 ± 1.1 vs 6.8 ± 1.4, P=0.042) were found in WBCE group compared with CC group. WBCE program not only improves the satisfaction of stroke patients and caregivers but also attenuates cognitive impairment and depression in stroke patients.