Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anxiety and social activities in multiple sclerosis patients

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Despite that the prevalence of depression has been thoroughly analyzed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and affects approximately 15%–20% of the MS population, attention paid to social activities concomitant with anxiety is still too sporadic. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of anxiety and social activities aggraded/aggravated with anxiety in the MS population in Lithuania and to analyze how it correlates with socio-demographic factors, clinical outcomes of MS and depression. Three hundred twelve MS patients took part in this study; anxiety prevalence was pointed in 20.2%. Only 23.4% of the study population was socially active. Our study shows a significant level of anxiety and low level of social activity in people with MS. Anxiety in MS patients was strongly related with younger age, shorter MS duration, prevalence of depression and lower level of social activity. A higher level of social activity was significantly related with older urban MS patients who indicated family status as living together and longer MS duration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pugliatti M., Sotgiu S., Rosati G., The worldwide prevalence of multiple sclerosis, Clin. Neurol. Neurosurg., 2002, 104(3), 182–191

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wingerchuk D.M., Weinshenker B.G., Multiple sclerosis: epidemiology, genetics, classification, natural history, and clinical outcome measures, Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am., 2000, 10, 611–623

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Noseworthy J.H., Lucchinetti C., Rodriguez M., Weinshenker B.G., Multiple sclerosis, N. Eng. J. Med., 2000, 343, 938–952

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dalton E.J., Heinrichs R.W., Depression in multiple sclerosis: a quantitative review of the evidence, Neuropsychology, 2005, 19, 152–158

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Figved N., Klevan G., Myhr K.M., et al., Neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis, Acta Psych. Scand., 2005, 112, 463–468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Siegert R.J., Abernethy D.A., Depression in multiple sclerosis: a review, J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, 2005, 76, 469–475

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Galeazzi G.M., Ferrari S., Giaroli G., et al., Psychiatric disorders and depression in multiple sclerosis outpatients: impact of disability and interferon therapy, Neurol. Sci., 2005, 26, 255–262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Leon A.C., Portera L., Weissman M.M., The social costs of anxiety disorders. Br. J. Psychiatry Suppl., 1995, 166(27), 19–22

    Google Scholar 

  9. Simon N.M., Otto M.W., Korbly N.B., Peters P.M., Nicolaou D.C., Pollack M.H., Quality of life in social anxiety disorder compared with panic disorder and the general population, Psychiatr. Serv., 2002, 53, 714–718

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Greenberg P.E., Sisitsky T., Kessler R.C., Finkelstein S.N., Berndt E.R., Davidson J.R., et al., The economic burden of anxiety disorders in the 1990s, J. Clin. Psychiatry, 1999, 60, 427–435

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Feinstein A., O’Connor P., Gray T., Feinstein K., The effects of anxiety on psychiatric morbidity in patients with multiple sclerosis, Mult. Scler., 1999, 5, 323–326

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Leonavičius R., Adomaitienė V., Leskauskas D., The relationships between depression and life activities and well-being of multiple sclerosis patients, Cent. Eur. J. Med., 2011, 6(5), 652–661. doi: 10.2478/s11536-011-0059-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zigmond A.S., Snaith R.P., The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Acta Psychiatr. Scand., 1983, 67, 361–370

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Bjelland I., Dahl A.A., Haug T.T., Neckelmann D., The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. An updated literature review, J. Psychosom. Res., 2002, 52, 69–77

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Beiske A.G., Svensson E., Sandanger I., Czujko B., Pedersen E.D., Aarseth J.H., et al., Depression and anxiety amongst multiple sclerosis patients, Eur. J. Neurol., 2008, 15(3), 239–245

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Korostil M., Feinstein A., Anxiety disorders and their clinical correlates in multiple sclerosis patients, Mult. Scler., 2007, 13, 67–72

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kehler M.D., Hadjistavropoulos H.D., Is health anxiety a significant problem for individuals with multiple sclerosis?, J. Behav. Med., 2009, 32, 150–161

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Dahl O.P., Stordal E., Lydersen S., Midgard R., Anxiety and depression in multiple sclerosis. A comparative population-based study in Nord-Trøndelag County, Norway, Mult. Scler., 2009, 15(12), 1495–1501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lester K., Stepleman L., Hughes M., The association of illness severity, self-reported cognitive impairment, and perceived illness management with depression and anxiety in a multiple sclerosis clinic population, J. Behav. Med., 2007, 30(2), 177–186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Nicholl C.R., Lincoln N.B., Francis V.M., Stephan.F., Assessment of emotional problems in people with multiple sclerosis, Clin. Rehabil., 2001, 15, 657–668

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Smith S.J., Young C.A., The role of affect on the perception of disability in multiple sclerosis, Clin. Rehabil., 2000, 14, 50–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Janssens A.C., van Doorn P.A., de Boer J.B., van der Meche F.G., Passchier J., Hintzen R.Q., Impact of recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis on quality of life, anxiety, depression and distress in patients and partners, Acta Neurol. Scand., 2003, 108, 389–395

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Janssens A.C., Buljevac D., van Doorn P.A., Prediction of anxiety and distress following diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: a two-year longitudinal study, Mult. Scler., 2006, 12, 794–801

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Korostil M., Feinstein A., Anxiety disorders and their clinical correlates in multiple sclerosis patients, Mult. Scler., 2007, 13, 67–72

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Beiske A.G., Svensson E., Sandanger I., Depression and anxiety amongst multiple sclerosis patients, Eur. J. Neurol., 2008, 15, 239–245

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Skerrett T.N., Moss-Morris R., Fatigue and social impairment in multiple sclerosis: The role of patients’ cognitive and behavioral responses to their symptoms, J. Psychosomatic Res., 2006, 61(5), 587–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Fong T., Finlayson M., Peacock N., The social experience of aging with a chronic illness: Perspectives of older adults with multiple sclerosis, Disability and Rehabilitation, 2006, 28(11), 695–705

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Einarsson U., Gottberg K., Fredrikson S., von Koch L., Widén Holmqvist L., Activities of daily living and social activities in people with multiple sclerosis in Stockholm County, Clin. Rehabil., 2006, 20, 543–551

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Osborne T.L., Jensen M.P., Ehde D.M., Hanley M.A., Kraft G., Psychosocial factors associated with pain intensity, pain-related interference, and psychological functioning in persons with multiple sclerosis and pain, Pain, 2007, 127(1–2), 52–62

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Halper J., The psychosocial effect of multiple sclerosis: The impact of relapses, J. Neurol. Sci., 2007, 256(1), 34–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Janssens A.C.J.W., van Doorn P.A., de Boer J.B., van der Meché F.G.A., Passchier J., Hintzen R.Q., Impact of recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis on quality of life, anxiety, depression and distress of patients and partners, Acta Neurol. Scan., 2003, 108(6), 389–395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry of Medical Academy of Lithuanian Hospital of University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinic, Eivenicu str. 2, LT-50009, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Rytis Leonavičius & Virginija Adomaitienė

Authors
  1. Rytis Leonavičius
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Virginija Adomaitienė
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rytis Leonavičius.

About this article

Cite this article

Leonavičius, R., Adomaitienė, V. Anxiety and social activities in multiple sclerosis patients. cent.eur.j.med 8, 56–61 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-012-0072-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-012-0072-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation