The prevalence of anxiety and associated factors in persons with multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of anxiety and its association with sociodemographic and clinical factors is not well characterized in those with multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to estimate the prevalence and examine associated factors of anxiety in persons with MS.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted utilizing data from 244 participants from the Neurological Disease and Depression study. Anxiety was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression was used to examine anxiety and associated factors.


RESULTS
Nearly 30.0% of participants had anxiety according to the HADS. The most prevalent symptom of anxiety was "worrying thoughts" (26.6%). After adjustment for various confounders, depression (OR: 7.31 95% CI 3.29-16.26) was found to be associated with higher odds of anxiety, while lower odds of anxiety were associated with higher education (OR: 0.51, 95% CI 0.28-0.94). Furthermore, anxiety was strongly associated with decreased quality of life.


CONCLUSION
Anxiety represents a substantial burden for those with MS and is associated with a variety of adverse outcomes including decreased quality of life. Our results further emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of anxiety in this population.
['Pham|Tram|T|', 'Jetté|Nathalie|N|', 'Bulloch|Andrew G M|AGM|', 'Burton|Jodie M|JM|', 'Wiebe|Samuel|S|', 'Patten|Scott B|SB|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000416:Alberta D001007:Anxiety D015897:Comorbidity D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D003863:Depression D004522:Educational Status D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009103:Multiple Sclerosis D015995:Prevalence D011788:Quality of Life
Prevalence Anxiety Multiple sclerosis Demyelination Epidemiology Psychiatric disorders