Prevalence and risk factors for depression in women with multiple sclerosis: a study from Iran

Multiple sclerosis is increasingly becoming a major health problem among women worldwide. The aim of the present study was to estimate prevalence of depression in women with multiple sclerosis and also to identify risk factors contributing to its development.

This was a cross-sectional study of depression in a sample of 226 women with multiple sclerosis. The sample was recruited from an outpatient clinic in Tehran, Iran. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between depression and independent variables.

Overall, 91 women (40.2 %) had moderate to severe depression. The mean age of participants was 35.7 years (SD = 8.07). The results obtained from multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the disease course (OR for relapsing-remitting MS = 2.36, % 95 CI = 1.14-5.53, P = 0.46), the expanded disability status scale (OR for score of 5-8 = 4.88, % 95 CI = 2.51-11.06, P < 0.001) and employment status (OR for housewife = 4.75, % 95 CI = 1.55-14.58, P = 0.006) were significant contributing factors to depression in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The findings suggest that depression in patients with multiple sclerosis is multi-factorial and very much dependent to physical and social conditions of patients. The recognition of such conditions might help clinicians to manage patients more effectively.