Tzonichaki Ioanna, Alexiou Margarita and Zaimis George
Background: Anxiety and depression are common symptoms in multiple sclerosis and have associated with overall well-being.
Aim: The aim of the present study was the evaluation of anxiety and depressive symptomatology in young women with multiple sclerosis in Greece and their implications in daily activities.
Method and Material: A total of 37 women with multiple sclerosis (mean age of 34, 67 years), from the region of Attica, participated in this study. They completed the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Pichot et al. Questionnaire of Selfevaluated Depressive Symptomatology (QD2).
Results: The majority of the sample received higher education (62.2%), was married (48.6%), lived with their spouse (45.9%), received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in the first year of the survey (27%) and had not mobility limitations (73%). The correlation of the level of depressive symptomatology and the symptoms of anxiety in women with multiple sclerosis is positive and statistically very significant (r=.749, p<.0001). The date of the first diagnosis as well as the coexistence of another diagnosis was negative correlated and statistically significant with anxiety symptomatology (r=-292, p<.05, r=-298, p<.05 respectively). The coexistence of another diagnosis and the using aid was negative correlated and statistically significant with depressive symptomatology (r=-315, p<.05, r=-309, p<.05 respectively).
Conclusions: These results can provide a great importance in psychosocial occupational therapy intervention in order to help the patients to manage these symptoms and to affect as little as possible their quality of life.
