Advancing Recovery Beyond Survival: Erin Kreszl Highlights the Mental Health & Peer Support Imperative at ISC 2026
International Stroke Conference
At the 2026 International Stroke Conference, Erin Kreszl, Executive Director of The Bee Foundation for Brain Aneurysm Prevention, delivered a compelling presentation during the session Neurocognitive Sequela of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Her talk, “Understanding the Lived Experience of Patients with Ruptured and Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms,” reinforced an essential shift in care: survival is only the beginning.
While current data on aneurysm outcomes is largely informed by medical and scientific perspectives, this study surveyed brain aneurysm patients to better understand the thinking, memory, and reasoning challenges survivors experience after rupture; and to identify which resources and supports survivors believe would have improved long-term recovery outcomes after hospital discharge.
This study emphasized a critical gap: limited insight from the lived experiences of patients and caregivers. That gap represents an opportunity—not only to listen, but to reshape care delivery around what truly impacts daily life.
The survey findings underscored that while patients may leave the hospital medically stable, many continue to face significant cognitive challenges. Memory, concentration, and slowed processing speed were most frequently reported, with memory identified as the challenge that most interfered with daily life for 32% of respondents.
Mental health emerged as one of the most important gaps in care. 39% of respondents indicated they would like mental health support included on their care team, compared to only 27% who currently have it. Mental health was the only practice area survivors said should represent a greater portion of their team.
Survivors are not minimizing medical care—they are asking for models that recognize the emotional and psychological realities of recovery.
The research also highlighted a significant opportunity in post-discharge care. Survivors identified three resources that would have most improved long-term recovery:
- Clear information about the recovery process
- Referral resources
- Peer support and advocacy
Most notably, 83% of respondents said peer support would have been especially valuable, yet it remains one of the least consistently provided resources.
Survey Snapshot
The survey was conducted by Dr. Leslie A. Miller, a member of Florida Southern College I-O Program graduate faculty, on behalf of The Bee Foundation. The survey is offered to both survivors of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms as well as caregivers, achieving an initial 85% completion rate—a powerful reflection of this community’s desire to be heard. Of the 550 who accessed the survey, 70% were ruptured aneurysm survivors, primarily female, with both U.S. and international representation. Data collection continues to broaden demographic reach.
The survey remains open until March 15th, with outreach to men and people of color especially important to ensure representative insights.
A Call to the Field
Erin closed with three critical questions for stroke and aneurysm care:
- Are we adequately preparing patients for the cognitive and emotional realities of recovery?
- How can we strengthen access to peer support and advocacy at discharge and beyond?
- How do we consistently integrate mental health expertise into long-term care—not as an afterthought, but as a standard?
Organizations like The Bee Foundation play a vital role in helping to close these gaps—providing trusted education, connecting survivors to peer communities, amplifying patient voices, and advocating for care models that extend beyond acute treatment.
When we center lived experience alongside clinical expertise, we have the opportunity to build a more complete, compassionate, and effective model of recovery—one that supports not just survival, but life beyond it.
