As many as a third of patients suffer from depression following a stroke and new research has found that women are more likely than men to become depressed.

The study published in the November-December issue of the journal Psychosomatics used data from 56 previous studies on strokes and depression, comprising more than 75,000 people.

Researchers say between 6 percent and 78 percent of women suffered from depression, compared to about 4.5 percent to 68 percent of men.

In addition, women tend to have higher rates of disability and longer hospitalization times compared to men, even though the risk of having a stroke is smaller in women.

"Patients may have symptoms, but they think that’s a natural reaction to having a stroke. Providers may think it is natural that the patient feels down after having this major life event. So there is a watch-and-see approach instead of a more of an aggressive screening-and-treatment approach," said Neurologist Dr Linda Williams.

The study’s authors say it’s uncertain what the best treatments for post-stroke depression might be. They say a multimodal approach that includes antidepressants and counseling with natural therapies like exercise, physical rehabilitation and support groups may be best.