Anxiety and Depression in People with MS

By Brett Drummond

While there have been some reports suggesting higher rates of anxiety and depression in people with multiple sclerosis, the results have been conflicting. Last week, results were published from a large online study performed using the UK MS Register between May 2011 and April 2012. Across this period, 4516 people with MS completed both the MS Disease Impact Scale (MSIS-29) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depress Scale (HADS), which both involve the self-reporting of a number of factors relating to an individual’s experience with MS.

There were two major outcomes of this study. Firstly, it proved the effectiveness of using online tools for people with MS to provide information for large cohort investigations. Secondly, the study showed that anxiety and depression are associated with increasing physical disability in MS. This was shown by having 38% and 17% of people with low disability reporting anxiety and depression respectively, compared to 67% and 72% in those people with high levels of disability. This association was not only reflected in the numbers of people reporting anxiety and depression, but also in the severity of these problems. These results confirm an association between physical disability in MS and psychological problems, further reflecting the need to provide a holistic approach to treatment.