Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of rational-emotive therapy(RET)on rehabilitation of patients with depression after stroke.Methods 62 hemiplegic patients with depression after stroke were randomly divided into the RET group and control group with 31 cases in each group.All patients were evaluated with Hamilton Rating Scale for Depresstion(HAMD)and Barthel Index(BI)before and after treatment.Results After treatment,the scores of HAMD and BI of the patients in the RET group was superior to those in the control group(P<0.01).Conclusion The rational-emotive therapy is effective to improve not only depressive symptoms but also the quality of living.

Key words: stroke, depresstion, rational-emotive therapy