Quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis and its association with depressive symptoms and physical disability

Objective: The aim of this work was to evaluate the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis and its association with depressive symptoms and physical health. Method: A total of 117 patients clinically diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were studied. The MSQOL-54 scale was applied. The depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), while degree of physical disability was evaluated with the EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale). The results of these last two instruments were associated with MSQOL-54 to determine its influence on the perception of quality of life. Results: We evaluated 65 women (56%) and 52 men (44%), with a mean age of 35 years, a mean age of 27 years at the time of diagnosis, and a mean evolution of 8 years. 88% of the patients showed the relapsing-remitting subtype; 42% had paid employment; 29% of the studied patients required help to perform daily activities; 75% took disease-modifying medications. They obtained on average a score of 3.62 +/- 2.30 on the EDSS and 11.5 +/- 9.21 on the BDI. The general average in MSQOL-54 was 64.67 +/- 17.52. Conclusions: Quality of life, in patients with multiple sclerosis is an issue that worries health personnel, it is essential to implement strategies for reducing the impact of the disease on patients' lives, mainly through the application of programs aimed to decrees depression and improve social support.