Asociación entre ansiedad social y otras comorbilidades psiquiátricas en pacientes con esclerosis múltiple. Hospital Teodoro Maldonado Carbo, noviembre 2017 - marzo 2018.

Abstract

Background: Although studies have found that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience relatively high rates of anxiety and depression, there are limited reports about social anxiety in people living with this disease. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of social anxiety symptoms in individuals with MS and the association with demographic and clinical characteristics in Latin America. Materials and methods: An observational, prospective, descriptive and transversal study was performed. We included patients with MS seen in a large safety net hospital either during a regularly scheduled visits or hospitalized during a six month from November 2017 to April 2018. All included patients completed a Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale with 21 items. We evaluated neurological disability in MS by neurologist ratings on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). We defined clinically significant social anxiety symptoms as SPIN threshold score of 19. Results: Fifty-six patients completed self-report scales of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms. Only 48 patients provided sufficient data for analysis. The prevalence of clinically significant social anxiety was 29.2%; 95% CI 17-44. Of those patients with social anxiety, 78.5% had general anxiety, 71.4% had depression and 71.4% had stress symptoms. Severity of social anxiety symptoms had a positive correlation with general anxiety, depression and stress, but not related to socio-demographic variables, neurological disability and subtypes of multiple sclerosis. Conclusions: Up to a third of patients with MS have social anxiety. This condition is unrelated to neurological disability and subtype of multiple sclerosis, but usually associated with other psychiatric comorbidities. These factors should be considered simultaneously when evaluating effects of treatment this population.