She has an organic problem with motivation due to her stroke
Although cognitive assessment suggested mild problem solving difficulties she is able to initiate actions and activities in a variety of settings.
She is emotionally labile
Mary is not laughing or crying inappropriately as her emotions are in keeping with the feelings she describes and her symptoms are present all of the time.
She is experiencing a common emotional response to her stroke
Although it can be common to feel sad or angry Mary’s symptoms are greater than this and she is reporting persistent feelings of sadness, frustration and hopelessness as well as ongoing sleep disturbance.
She has an underlying physical problem to explain her presentation
The stroke care summary rules out any physical problems (pain, infection) that may impact on her mood.
Environmental problems
Mary has not expressed any concerns about being on the ward. For example, she attributes her poor sleep to an overly active mind rather than a noisy ward.
She is clinically depressed
Mary is displaying signs of depression such as early morning wakening, poor appetite, low motivation, tearfulness and is expressing feelings of hopelessness and worries about the future.
Page last reviewed: 25 Feb 2020
