Fear of COVID-19, problems accessing medical appointments, and subjective experience of disease progression, predict anxiety and depression reactions in patients with Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND: During the current COVID-19 pandemic there are studies that have suggested a negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health of patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). In this sense, several factors may be related to the increase in experiences of anxiety and depression in PwMS during the current pandemic. OBJECTIVE: In this study we first explored the reactions of anxiety, depression and fear to COVID-19 in a group of PwMS that belong to the Ibero-American region. Besides, we explored whether having been positive to COVID-19, fear of COVID-19, the obstacles to attend medical appointments during the outbreak and subjective experience of MS progression, could predict the anxiety and depression reactions in our PwMS sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted on 202 MS patients from six countries (Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Cuba). For comparisons between variables an independent-samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the effects of potential predictor variables over emotional reactions. RESULTS: Our results showed that PwMS who were positive for COVID-19 reported higher levels of fear of COVID-19 (p<.001) and also higher levels of anxiety (p<.001) compared to non-positive patients. Those patients who had difficulties attending their medical appointments during the outbreak showed higher levels of depression (p=.03) and anxiety (p=.019). Levels of anxiety (p<.001) and depression (p=.006) were also higher among patients with the subjective experience of MS disease progression. The reactions of fear of COVID-19, having been positive to COVID-19, problems attending medical appointments, and subjective experience of MS disease progression showed a high association with the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health of PwMS. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of PwMS in our sample. Our results also alert to the importance of offering psychological care to patients with multiple sclerosis during the current outbreak, regardless of whether they have been positive for COVID-19.