Kudos to PhD student Gabrielle Harris and her faculty mentor Janet Prvu-Bettger for the submission of her NIH NRSA (F31) application entitled "Parenting and Stroke Recovery."  This proposal requests funds for a 21-month period with a start date of April 1, 2019.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of disability with the incidence increasing approximately 44% from 2000 to 2010 among young adults. For young adult survivors, the effects of stroke may be more profound due to disruptions in areas including employment and childcare responsibilities. Vocational issues following stroke dominate the psychosocial young stroke literature despite the high value placed on parenting by society. Yet, the activities and responsibilities associated with resuming parenting are similar to return to work. Parenting is also more likely to be resumed in some capacity in comparison to paid employment when returning home post-stroke regardless of residual impairment. The increasing incidence of stroke among young adults makes it critically important to understand rehabilitation from the perspective of parenting survivors.

Methods: This longitudinal mixed methods study will use questionnaires and interviews to assess parenting stroke survivors’ perceptions of recovery. Stroke recovery will be assessed using the Patient Generated Index, an individualized measure that allows patients to select, rate, and weight the importance of aspects of their life to their recovery. Data collection will occur prior to discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, one, and three months after stroke.

Aim 1: Explore change in recovery among stroke survivors as individuals, parents, and members of society as they transition home after a stroke  1a. Describe change in recovery from discharge to 3 months using the Patient Generated Index total score and for each life area felt to be affected by the stroke. 1b. Describe factors associated with change in recovery using the Patient Generated Index total score from discharge to three months.

Aim 2: Provide a comprehensive description of stroke recovery as it relates to parenting among young adult stroke survivors by combining quantitative data from Aim 1 with qualitative descriptions of recovery experiences.