Healing beyond the physical: Ethical approaches to emotional support in post-stroke recovery

Abstract

Stroke is one of the major contributors to long-term disability in the world, with significant emotional and psychological implications for survivors. While physical rehabilitation is often prioritised in post-stroke recovery, the emotional impact, such as grief, anxiety, depression, and identity disruption, remains under-addressed, particularly in a developing country such as South Africa. This article argues for a more ethical, grounded and holistic approach to stroke recovery that prioritises emotional support alongside physical treatment. Drawing on the disciplines of counselling psychology and rehabilitation science, the article explores how interdisciplinary approaches can enhance the emotional needs of stroke patients. Through a conceptual methodology, this article critiques the limitations of biomedical ethics when applied to stroke rehabilitation and proposes a complementary ethical model, such as care and narrative ethics. These frameworks emphasise empathy, relationship-building and meaning-making as central components of ethical care. Through theoretical analysis, the article demonstrates how patients’ emotional narratives can inform ethical patient-centred rehabilitation interventions. The article also deliberates the implications for healthcare providers, offers practical recommendations and outlines policy integration strategies for embedding emotional care within rehabilitation programmes. By highlighting the ethical significance of emotional support, the study offers a more compassionate, culturally sensitive and inclusive model of stroke care in line with medical humanities and the future of healthcare delivery.