Festival of Social Science (FoSS) 2023 project “Empowering life after stroke in young adults: the importance of rehabilitation”

The event is linked to the YARNS research project (February 2020 – March 2021), which explored the specific needs and experiences of young adults in stroke rehabilitation (Holloway et al. 2021). Our findings highlight the misconception that stroke only affects older individuals, leading to the stigmatisation of young adults with stroke (Holloway et al., 2021) and posing challenges for healthcare professionals in identifying strokes in this age group (Shipley et al., 2019; Zheng et al., 2023). The stigma associated with stroke has significant consequences including hindering support-seeking (Yang et al., 2022), causing loneliness (Yang et al., 2022), depression (Deng et al., 2019) and social isolation (Leahy et al., 2016). Raising public awareness and promoting education are therefore crucial to address the stigma faced by young adults with stroke. Our activities will highlight their experiences and emphasise the importance of meeting their rehabilitation needs, fostering public discussions on the topic.