Motivational interviewing for low mood after stroke

INTERVENTION: Following completion of baseline assessment, eligible participants are randomised early after stroke on a 1:1 ratio (stratified by response to Yale question “Do you often feel sad or depressed?” Yes or No) to: 1. Motivational Interviewing (MI) [intervention arm], 2. Attention Control (AC) [control arm]. MI is a talking therapy, the techniques of which have been applied to facilitate adjustment after stroke. Participants in the MI group received up to four, hour‐long, individual MI sessions held weekly with a trained MI therapist, in hospital or at home. AC was designed to provide participants with social attention of the same duration and intensity to the MI therapy and involved general conversation and activities not focused on mood (e.g. playing cards). Participants in the AC group receive up to four, hour‐long, individual AC sessions held weekly with a trained AC visitor, in hospital or at home. Participants in both groups are followed up at three months post‐stroke. CONDITION: Stroke ; Circulatory System ; Stroke PRIMARY OUTCOME: Feasibility of a future definitive trial is measured using:; 1. Recruitment and three‐month retention of participants, through examination of screening logs and follow up completion;; 2. Completeness of data capture in study measures; ; 3. Acceptability of MI and AC, through interviews with participants; ; 4. Implementation of MI and AC, through interviews with staff delivering MI and AC; ; 5. Fidelity to MI and AC, through monitoring of audio recordings of sessions. ; SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Mood is measured using the GHQ12, Yale, DISCs scores at baseline and three months; 2. Survival is measured using status (alive/dead) at three months; 3. Function is measured using Barthel at baseline and 3 months, and NEADL at three months; 4. Quality of life is measured using the EQ5D at three months; 5. Adjustment is measured using CIR at three months; 6. Community integration is measured using CIQ at three months INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Aged 18 or over 2. Medical diagnosis of stroke (from WHO criteria) 3. Medically stable 4. No severe communication difficulties 5. Having capacity to consent 6. No current psychological input 7. Live in hospital catchment