A recent study revealed that younger survivors of stroke are facing silent crises of mental health and cognitive struggle.
Stroke is a condition, which is often seen as a problem that would only affect older people.
Scientists from University of Florida warned that stroke rates are significantly increasing among adults under the age of 50, the health care system has failed to offer the specialised support they require to reclaim their lives.
As per the study published in the journal Geriatrics, data from over 17,000 survivors surveyed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2023, 15% stroke cases were reported in people under 50.
Though younger people are easily able to walk, talk, and perform a range of activities as compared to elderly individuals, they were twice as likely to report struggles with basic tasks such as running errands, and staying focused.
Research discovered that younger survivors had nearly twice the number of poor mental health days per month in contrast to those more than the age of 50.
Study co-author Molly Jacobs stated, “With the growing rate of stroke among individuals under 50, the medical establishment has to acknowledge that young stroke survivors require age-specific rehabilitation strategies that include different components than they do for older stroke survivors.”
One of the biggest problems that became a barrier in full recovery is the loss of a job, as unemployed survivors faced the most severe challenges.
Jacobs stated, “It is important to be your own advocate, because you need to facilitate not only your own reintegration into the workforce, but also into your family and your community. Without those support systems, you’re not going to feel like you have a full recovery from this devastating health event.”
