Afagh Garjani1, Rachael Hunter2, Graham R Law3, Rodden M Middleton4, Katherine A Tuite-Dalton4, Ruth Dobson5, David V Ford4, Stella Hughes6, Owen R Pearson7, David Rog8, Emma C Tallantyre9, Richard Nicholas10, Richard Morriss11, Nikos Evangelou1, Roshan das Nair11. 1. Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Academic Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK/Department of Academic Clinical Neurology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK. 2. College of Health and Human Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK. 3. School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK. 4. Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK. 5. Preventive Neurology Unit, Queen Mary University London, London, UK. 6. Department of Neurology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK. 7. Neurology Department, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, UK. 8. Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK. 9. Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. 10. Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK/Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Imperial College London, London, UK/Department of Visual Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. 11. Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Academic Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK/Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: People with MS (pwMS) have had higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population before the COVID-19 pandemic, placing them at higher risk of experiencing poor psychological wellbeing during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To assess mental health and its social/lifestyle determinants in pwMS during the first wave of the outbreak in the United Kingdom. METHODS: This is a community-based, prospective longitudinal cohort and cross-sectional case-control online questionnaire study. It includes 2010 pwMS from the UK MS Register and 380 people without MS. RESULTS: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores of pwMS for anxiety and depression during the outbreak did not change from the previous year. PwMS were more likely to have anxiety (using General Anxiety Disorder-7) and/or depression (using Patient Health Questionnaire-9) than controls during the outbreak (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.58-2.91). PwMS felt lonelier (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80) reported worse social support (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.18-3.07) and reported worsened exercise habits (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.18-2.32) during the outbreak than controls. CONCLUSION: Early in the pandemic, pwMS remained at higher risk of experiencing anxiety and depression than the general population. It is important that multidisciplinary teams improve their support for the wellbeing of pwMS, who are vulnerable to the negative effects of the pandemic on their lifestyle and social support.
BACKGROUND: People with MS (pwMS) have had higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population before the COVID-19 pandemic, placing them at higher risk of experiencing poor psychological wellbeing during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To assess mental health and its social/lifestyle determinants in pwMS during the first wave of the outbreak in the United Kingdom. METHODS: This is a community-based, prospective longitudinal cohort and cross-sectional case-control online questionnaire study. It includes 2010 pwMS from the UK MS Register and 380 people without MS. RESULTS: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores of pwMS for anxiety and depression during the outbreak did not change from the previous year. PwMS were more likely to have anxiety (using General Anxiety Disorder-7) and/or depression (using Patient Health Questionnaire-9) than controls during the outbreak (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.58-2.91). PwMS felt lonelier (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80) reported worse social support (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.18-3.07) and reported worsened exercise habits (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.18-2.32) during the outbreak than controls. CONCLUSION: Early in the pandemic, pwMS remained at higher risk of experiencing anxiety and depression than the general population. It is important that multidisciplinary teams improve their support for the wellbeing of pwMS, who are vulnerable to the negative effects of the pandemic on their lifestyle and social support.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; Multiple sclerosis; lifestyle; mental health; social
Authors: Amin Zarghami; Mohammad A Hussain; Julie A Campbell; Chigozie Ezegbe; Ingrid van der Mei; Bruce V Taylor; Suzi B Claflin Journal: Mult Scler Relat Disord Date: 2022-01-25 Impact factor: 4.808