A recent study found that elder individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience significantly less severe depressive symptoms and better quality of life than their younger counterparts.
The research, “Subjective well-being differs with age in multiple sclerosis: A brief report,” was published in the journal Rehabilitation Psychology.
In the general population, the sense of well-being improves as people get older, according to the researchers. But this correlation was never confirmed among MS patients, with different studies reporting conflicting results. So, the question remained, “Does well-being improve in elder MS patients?”
To answer that question, researchers at the Kessler Foundation, a nonprofit organization advocating for people with disabilities, and New York University, investigated differences in depressive symptoms and quality of life among distinct age groups of MS patients.
A total of 57 MS patients were divided into three age groups: 35-44, 45-54, and 55-65 years old.
Depression was measured using the validated Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory (CMDI), a self-reporting depression scale that includes mood, evaluative (self-criticism) and vegetative (physical malfunctioning) aspects. Quality of life was assessed via the MS Quality of Life Instrument (MSQOL-54) that combines both generic and MS-specific items regarding patients’ physical and emotional status.
Results were compared among groups and normalized to disease duration, so that this variable would not affect the results.
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The analysis of the data showed that individuals in the oldest group reported significantly lower levels of depression and higher quality of life than the youngest group.