The Prevalence of Depression in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Who Referred to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Yazd, Iran

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous disease that may cause disability. Depression is very common in MS which has a negative impact on quality of life and cognitive status. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of depression in MS patients, to assess the association of neuropsychological, demographic factors and clinical features of it. Methods: This study was performed on 220 patients. A questionnaire was completed by patients and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) test was used to evaluate the severity of depression. Results: 81.3% of patients had depression based on the cutoff point of 13. A significant relationship was found between gender, treatment duration, motion disability, Cerebellar and pyramidal symptoms and severity of depression,also between history of depression and prevalence of it. The prevalence of depression was more in age group of 20-40. No significant association was found between the duration of disease and severity of depression and demonstrated an inverse relationship between depression severity and level of education. Conclusion: We conclude, future studies should use a structured interview based on the DSM to assess patients mood.