Emotional stress and the development of multiple sclerosis: case-control evidence of a relationship.

One hundred multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were compared to hospital controls, for life stress prior to onset age in the MS patients and controls did not differ on: the happiness of their childhood environment; their pre-onset age reaction to life's problems (relaxed and taking things in stride/tense or easily upset); or on their tendency to seek professional help with an emotional problem. However significantly more MS patients than controls reported that they were under unusual stress in the 2 yr period prior to onset age; and the MS patients described a greater number of stressful life situations, or single events, than the controls.