To assess prevalence rates and clinical correlates of anxiety disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS:

Demographic and neurological data were collected on 140 consecutive clinic attendees, and their lifetime and point prevalence’s of anxiety disorders were determined with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders (SCID-IV). All subjects completed the self-report Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Suicidal intent was rated with the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS), psychosocial stressors and supports were quantified with Social Stress and Support Interview (SSSI), and cognition assessed with Neuropsychological Screening Battery for MS.

RESULTS:

The lifetime prevalence of any

anxiety disorder                                 35.7%,

with panic disorder                           10.0%,

obsessive compulsive disorder           .6%, and

generalized anxiety disorder            18.6%,

 

the most common diagnoses obtained.

Subjects with an anxiety disorder were more likely to be female, have a history of depression, drink to excess, report higher social stress, and have contemplated suicide. The diagnosis of an anxiety disorder had been missed in the majority of subjects, therefore, they had not received treatment. A discriminate function analysis identified a series of variables that correctly classified 75% of patients with an anxiety disorder.

CONCLUSION: