Objective: To describe the characteristics of a non-verbal measure of self-esteem in a sample of individuals in the acute phase following stroke.
Design: Acute-phase stroke survivors (n=156) were administered measures of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, general emotional distress and cognitive functioning during admission to an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit.
Main measures: Visual Analogue Self-Esteem Scale (VASES), Geriatric Depression Scale, Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale, Visual Analog Mood Scales, measures of neuropsychological functioning.
Results: VASES performance was not related to demographic variables, cognitive functioning, visual acuity, prior stroke or severe visuoperceptual impairment/left visual neglect. The VASES was most related to emotional functioning, with lower self-esteem ratings associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and general emotional distress. Individuals with right hemisphere stroke tended to endorse lower self-esteem ratings, while aphasic individuals may have misunderstood the intent of the task.
Conclusions: The non-verbal VASES appears to be minimally impacted by potentially invalidating patient factors (e.g. visual acuity, left visual neglect), although its use with patients with severe communication deficits is cautioned. The VASES may prove useful in identifying acute stroke survivors most at risk for emotional dysfunction, and may be useful as a research tool in this population.