Abstract Aim The aim of this study is to describe a longitudinal research protocol for exploring the relationship of dyadic appraisal, dyadic coping (DC), and dyadic mental health among stroke survivors and their spouses and its action path. Background Stroke can be considered as a dyad phenomenon which affects the mental health of both the survivors and their spouse caregivers. Studies based on dyadic theories are needed to examine the roles of dyadic appraisal and DC on the mental health of stroke dyads. Design Longitudinal study. Methods Stroke survivors and their spouse caregivers will be recruited from hospital, when the survivors are stable and about to discharge. Follow‐up assessments will take place in 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after participants discharge. The structural equation modelling will be used for statistic analysing. Discussion Our study seeks to expand the theory of Developmental‐Contextual Model to examine the association among variables including dyadic appraisal, DC, and mental health for the couples coping with stroke.