# Current Status and Associated Factors of Treatment Burden in Stroke Patients: Mixed‐Methods Research With a Convergent Parallel Design

## TL;DR

This study explores the treatment burden in stroke patients and identifies factors like depression and support systems that influence it, suggesting holistic care approaches.

## Contribution

The study introduces a mixed-methods approach to comprehensively analyze treatment burden in stroke patients, integrating both quantitative and qualitative findings.

## Key findings

- Depression, self-management efficacy, and social support are significant factors affecting treatment burden in stroke patients.
- Qualitative analysis revealed 8 themes and 27 subthemes describing patients' experiences with treatment burden.
- Integrated results highlight the need for psychological and social interventions to reduce treatment burden.

## Abstract

To investigate the current status of treatment burden in stroke patients and analyze its associated factors, thereby providing a theoretical basis for clinical interventions.

This study used a convergent parallel mixed‐methods design.

For the quantitative phase, a questionnaire survey was conducted among hospitalized stroke patients using convenience sampling from April to October 2024. Univariate analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were used to identify the associated factors of treatment burden. For the qualitative phase, purposive sampling was adopted, and the Colaizzi seven‐step method with NVivo 11 software was used to analyze the specific manifestations and experiences of treatment burden in stroke patients. The quantitative and qualitative results were finally integrated and triangulated for joint presentation.

A total of 237 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Multiple linear indicated that depression (β
′ = 0.431, p < 0.001), self‐management efficacy (β
′ = −0.235, p = 0.047), age (β
′ = −0.213, p = 0.001), objective support (β
′ = −0.171, p = 0.001), and diet control (β
′ = −0.163, p = 0.001) were the main associated factors of treatment burden of stroke patients. Seventeen stroke patients were interviewed for the qualitative phase, from which 8 themes and 27 subthemes were extracted. Integration of quantitative and qualitative results yielded a comprehensive, multidimensional understanding of treatment burden in stroke patients.

Treatment burden in stroke patients is associated with multiple factors, involving psychological, behavioral, and social support dimensions. This finding emphasizes the necessity for healthcare professionals to adopt a holistic approach to stroke patient care.

This study suggests that clinical practice should strengthen psychological interventions for stroke patients, improve their self‐efficacy, provide individualized guidance, and refine support systems, so as to effectively alleviate treatment burden.