Mobile Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Early Stroke Recovery

The focus of the present study is neuropsychiatric symptoms (i.e., depression, apathy, and anxiety) in individuals who experienced a stroke. Post-stroke neuropsychiatric symptoms are highly prevalent and are associated with diminished quality of life, caregiver distress, and poorer functional capacity and stroke recovery. The intervention used in the present study is an adapted version of Maya, a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) application. The app includes modules with educational content and practice of strategies that address the following: (1) education about mood symptoms post-stroke and their association with recovery/rehabilitation; (2) mindfulness, relaxation, and distress tolerance skills; (3) increasing awareness of thinking errors and reframing negative thoughts; and (4) self-compassion, gratitude, and ways to promote resilience during stroke recovery and rehabilitation. The app includes an interactive dashboard to provide the user with statistics for tracking progress toward their goals. For the current study, app language and examples will be adapted for individuals with stroke. Participants will be asked to use the app for 3 days per week over a 5-week period, for \~20 minutes in each use.