The presence of psychiatric symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been known since long. In addition to the neurological symptoms that characterize MS, major depression is common, with estimates of lifetime prevalence of major depression in MS as high as 50%. This article identifies some key issues that are involved in MS and depression. A recent study suggests that the annual prevalence of major depression in MS is elevated compared with that in both healthy people and other chronic conditions.
Of further concern is the finding that suicidal ideation is relatively common among people with MS, and that depression in people with MS is often not detected and treated. Moreover, depression is an important determinant of quality of life (QoL) in MS and may well be the most important determining factor. Recently considerable interest has been generated about the possible role of interferon…
