WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Older individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) report less severe depressive symptoms and better physical quality of life (QOL), compared to younger patients, according to a brief report recently published in Rehabilitation Psychology.
Noting that increased age is associated with improved subjective well-being in the general population, Brocha Z. Stern, from New York University in New York City, and colleagues examined the correlation among individuals with MS. Differences in depression and QOL were assessed among 57 individuals with MS in three age groups: 35 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 to 65 years.
The researchers found that, compared with the youngest group, individuals in the oldest group reported significantly less severe depressive symptoms and better physical QOL after controlling for disease duration.
“Results are consistent with theoretical predictions and observations of improved subjective well-being with age in the general population,” the authors write. “Younger individuals with MS may be at higher risk for depression and poor QOL.”
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