Affective Touching on Poststroke Depression

Inclusion Criteria

• •1. Stroke survivor-caregiver dyads
• •* Hong Kong residents, aged 18 years or above,
• •* able to understand and give informed consent \[Abbreviated Mental Test (Hong Kong version) score ≥6\].
• •2. Stroke survivors
• •* within the first three months of being diagnosed with first-onset acute ischemic/haemorrhagic stroke,
• •* able to comprehend verbal instructions,
• •* with premorbid depressive symptoms \[20-item Centre of Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale score ≥8\].
• •3. Family caregivers
• •* family members who assume the primary responsibility for caring for a stroke survivor and who are identified by the survivors as their primary caregivers,
• •* live with the survivors and provide care ≥4 hours/day,
• •* have no history of self-reported or medical diagnosis of psychiatric illness,
• •* are able to learn and willing to provide the intervention.