[Social support in the rehabilitation of patients with disabilities due to stroke].

Résumé

OBJECTIVE: to describe a strategy of social support in the recovery of functional capacity on basic activities of daily living (ADL), quality of life and ways to face stress in patients after a stroke.METHODS: patients (56) with stroke, were integrated in support groups during the three months of rehabilitation. Outcomes were assessed through the Barthel Index, SF-36 questionnaire, and the Lazarus-Folkman measure.RESULTS: there was an improvement in functional capacity, with an increase in the emotional support (p = 0.0191) and affectivity (p = 0.0085). There was no change in caregiver. In quality of life 13.3 % of patients met the floor values in the dimension of physical function, 40 % in physical role and emotional role 36.7%. The most frequently used facing strategy in patients and caregivers were magical thinking that led a positive facing in the area of passive facing or directed to emotion; while in active facing or directed to the problem more flexibility in the addressed problem was used.CONCLUSIONS: the social support strategies in the rehabilitation of patients with stroke reflected an improvement on functional recovery, and quality of life.