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World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2026; 16(11): 117870
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.117870
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.117870
Neuropsychiatric risk stratification in post-stroke anxiety and depression
Fang-Ling Yan, Jia-Xin Chen, You-Wen Gong, Department of Neurosurgery, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (The First People’s Hospital of Changde City), Changde 415000, Hunan Province, China
Co-first authors: Fang-Ling Yan and Jia-Xin Chen.
Author contributions: Yan FL and Chen JX contributed equally and are designated as co-first authors; Gong YW designed the study and provided overall supervision; Gong YW critically revised the manuscript and completed the final version; all authors drafted, read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: Only limited use was made of AI-based language tools (such as ChatGPT and similar language editing tools) for language polishing, including grammar correction, sentence reorganization, and improvement of academic expression. These tools did not have any impact on scientific content, explanations, or conclusions. All data analysis (if applicable) was conducted using standard statistical software and established analysis methods. No AI tools were used for data analysis. All charts/images (if any) were drawn by the author using conventional tools or derived from the original data. No images generated by AI were included.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: You-Wen Gong, MD, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (The First People’s Hospital of Changde City), No. 818 Renmin Road, Changde 415000, Hunan Province, China.
Received: December 18, 2025
Revised: January 8, 2026
Accepted: January 22, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 312 Days and 5.4 Hours
Revised: January 8, 2026
Accepted: January 22, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 312 Days and 5.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Anxiety and depression following stroke remain under-recognized contributors to long-term disability. Emerging evidence suggests these symptoms reflect quantifiable neurobiological disruptions rather than secondary reactions to impairment. This editorial argues that neuropsychiatric risk stratification—integrating lesion characteristics, neuroinflammatory biomarkers, autonomic indices, and early behavioral markers—should become a routine component of post-stroke management.