Fear and anxiety in patients with multiple sclerosis during COVID-19 pandemic; report of an Iranian population

Ramezani, Neda; Ashtari, Fereshteh; Bastami, Elahe Abdi; Ghaderi, Kimia; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Naeini, Maryam Kazemi; Rajabi, Fatemeh; Adibi, Iman

doi:10.1016/j.msard.2021.102798

Cited by 40 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic was demonstrated to cause an increased level of anxiety and depression, and a worse sleep quality in MS patients throughout different countries [ 2 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. The Italian authors of [ 14 ] reported a greater prevalence of severe stress (measured in PSS-10) in MS subjects, in comparison with the healthy controls or the patients with migraine.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic Perceived by Polish Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Pokryszko−Dragan

Chojdak-Łukasiewicz

Gruszka

et al. 2021

JCM

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People with multiple sclerosis (MS) were expected to be particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the burden of pandemic, perceived by Polish MS patients, with regard to major contributing factors. The survey, conducted in August/September 2020, included: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief–COPE), questions on demographic data, MS characteristics, and health-related and social aspects of pandemic burden. Relationships were searched between PSS-10 and Mini-COPE results and other analyzed items, using U Mann–Whitney test, Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA rank test and Spearman rank correlation. The survey was answered by 287 MS patients (208 female, 79 male, aged 21–69 years). Since March 2020, 2.4% of respondents had been positive for COVID-19 and 5.2% had undergone a quarantine. Mean PSS-10 score was 19.99, with moderate or high level of stress in 83.3% of respondents. Problem-focused strategies were more frequently used than emotion-focused strategies (1.76 vs. 1.16). Higher PSS-10 score was associated with comorbidities (H = 4.28), increase in major MS symptoms during the pandemic (21.92 vs. 18.06), experience of healthcare limitations (21.12 vs. 17.98), work-related (22.58 vs. 18.69), financial (22.70 vs. 18.83) and family-related problems (22.54 vs. 17.73) due to pandemic restrictions. A coping model was associated with functional disability and limitations to daily activities (H = 7.81). During the first stage of the pandemic, MS patients reported increased level of stress and preferred problem-focused coping. The level of stress and coping showed more relationships with pandemic impact upon social issues than with MS-related variables.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic Perceived by Polish Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Pokryszko−Dragan

Chojdak-Łukasiewicz

Gruszka

et al. 2021

JCM

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“…emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic causes depression in people with MS with a history of neuropsychiatric disorders, and elderly people with MS are more prone to anxiety. It was emphasized that anxiety was not present, especially in young and educated individuals ( Ramezani et al., 2021 ). The fact that individuals with COVID-19 disease have more fears and similar anxiety in our study can be attributed to the fact that the cases are young and have high academic backgrounds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The comparison of fatigue, sleep quality, physical activity, quality of life, and psychological status in multiple sclerosis patients with or without COVID-19

Özkeskin

Özden

Karaman

et al. 2021

Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

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Purpose The study was purposed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 disease on fatigue, sleep quality, physical activity, quality of life, and psychological status in people with MS. Methods A total of 104 people with MS, including 46 of them with COVID-19 disease history, were enrolled in the study. All patients were evaluated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the EuroQoL Instrument (EQ-5D-3L), the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS). Results People with MS in the COVID-19 positive group had a significantly lower IPAQ-Total score ( p = 0.014). Besides, the FCV-19S scores of COVID-19 positive patients were significantly higher ( p = 0.006). EQ-5D-3L Index and EQ-5D-3L VAS scores were higher in the group with COVID-19 (p 1 = 0.021, p 2 = 0.014, respectively). FCV-19S had a moderate correlation with EDSS ( r = -0.362). IPAQ-Total was moderately associated with MS duration, EDSS and FSS (r 1 = -0.471, r 2 = -0.389, r 3 = -0.388, respectively). The EQ-5D-3L Index was moderately correlated with FSS (r 1 = -0.404). There was a weakly significant relationship between EQ-5D-3L Index and BMI, MS duration, PSQI and CAS (r 1 = -0.471, r 2 =-0.389, r 3 = -0.388, r 4 = -0.326, respectively). On the other hand, EQ-5D-3L was moderately associated with VAS and EDSS and PSQI (r 1 = -0.393, r 2 = -0.357, respectively). Conclusion COVID-19 negatively affected the people with MS's physical activity and coronavirus related fear parameters. However, the causality of this influence should be investigated in detail.

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“…Anxiety might be an essential factor for this behavior, as this is frequently present in MS patients in the context of this pandemic. 7 In Germany, studies investigating the reason for patients to avoid hospital stays during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking, but data from the USA confirm major concerns of people contracting another illness while being at a medical facility during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 8 Fear as the main driver is also supported by the dynamic of the observed decline seen from March 2020 on, when Germany faced the challenges of this pandemic for the first time, and the German government introduced the first-ever lockdown and strict hygiene measures for strong social distancing to control the spread of COVID-19.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalizations and plasmapheresis therapy in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a nationwide analysis from Germany

Richter

Faissner

Bartig

et al. 2021

Ther Adv Neurol Disord

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Background: Many countries worldwide reported side effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that have influenced the care of patients with other diseases in both acute and elective settings. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) represent the major patient population suffering from an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. We aimed to analyze MS and NMOSD hospitalizations, the application of plasmapheresis therapy, and the dynamic during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cross-sectional study using the administrative database of all hospitalized patients with the main diagnosis of MS and NMOSD, including the information on the application of plasmapheresis therapy. We included full-year data from 1463 hospitals of all MS and NMOSD patients hospitalized in 2019 and 2020 in Germany ( n = 87,453). We compared case numbers and plasmapheresis therapy rates of the different pandemic periods in 2020 with the corresponding periods in 2019. Results: We observed a substantial decline of MS and NMOSD patients’ hospitalizations during the different pandemic periods, with the most remarkable decline during the first wave of the pandemic (First diagnosis of MS: −16.8%; relapsing-remitting MS: −34.0%; secondary progressive MS: −48.9%; primary progressive MS: −43.8%; NMOSD: −19.2%). Treatment rates with plasmapheresis increased for MS and NMOSD patients in 2020 compared to 2019 (1.8% versus 1.6%, p = 0.003; 14.0% versus 9.3%, p < 0.001), with a substantial increase during the first wave of the pandemic, especially in NMOSD patients (19.7% versus 8.4%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: There was a marked decline of MS and NMOSD patients’ hospitalizations during the different pandemic periods in 2020, with the most substantial reduction during the pandemic’s first wave and in progressive MS patients. MS and NMOSD patients who needed rescue relapse treatment continued to receive plasmapheresis therapy in Germany.

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Fear and anxiety in patients with multiple sclerosis during COVID-19 pandemic; report of an Iranian population

Cited by 40 publications

References 20 publications

Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic Perceived by Polish Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic Perceived by Polish Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

The comparison of fatigue, sleep quality, physical activity, quality of life, and psychological status in multiple sclerosis patients with or without COVID-19

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalizations and plasmapheresis therapy in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a nationwide analysis from Germany

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