Depression and Anxiety as Determinants of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis - United Arab Emirates

To study the impact of depression and anxiety on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) in the UAE. All consecutive patients attending the MS clinic over a fourmonth period, October 2014 through February 2015, at Sheikh Khalifa Medical city (SKMC) were asked to complete The World Health Organization quality of life abbreviated scale (WHOQOL-BREF), the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item (PHQ-9) depression scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder seven-item (GAD-7) scale. These last two scales were used to screen for depression and anxiety disorders respectively. The study looked at significant variables associated with HRQOL, using multivariate analysis. Eighty patients were enrolled in the study. Both anxiety and depression had a strong positive correlation with HRQOL in univariate analysis. However, depression was the strongest predictor of HRQOL in the patients using linear multi-regression analysis. Screening and timely treatment of both anxiety and depression in MS patients should be a recommended policy when managing pwMS to improve their optimal care and ensure better quality of life.