OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of leisure therapy and conventional occupational therapy (OT) on the mood, leisure participation and independence in activities of daily living (ADL) of stroke patients 6 and 12 months after hospital discharge. DESIGN: Multicentre randomized controlled trial. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred and sixty-six patients from five UK centres. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The General Health Questionnaire (12 item), the Nottingham Extended ADL Scale and the Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire, assessed by post, with telephone clarification. RESULTS: Four hundred and forty (94%) and 426 (91%) subjects were alive at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Three hundred and seventy-four (85% of survivors) and 311 (78% of survivors) responded at 6 and 12 month follow-up respectively. At six months and compared to the control group, those allocated to leisure therapy had nonsignificantly better GHQ scores (-1.2%: 95% CI -2.9 to +0.5), leisure scores (+0.7, 95% CI -1.1 to +2.5) and Extended ADL scores (+0.4: 95% CI -3.8 to +4.5): the ADL group had nonsignificantly better GHQ scores (-0.1:95% CI -1.8 to +1.7) and Extended ADL scores (+1.4: 95% CI -2.9 to +5.6) and nonsignificantly worse leisure scores (-0.3:95% CI -2.1 to +1.6). The results are 12 months were similar. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the findings of previous smaller trials, neither of the additional to treatments showed a clear beneficial effect on mood, leisure activity or independence in ADL measured at 6 or 12 months.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher