QOL19
Multiple Sclerosis and COVID-19: Patient’s Experience Survey
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the implementation of various lockdown measures affecting workplaces, schools, travel and recreational facilitates. Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are thought to be more vulnerable to being affected by COVID-19, yet research in Canada has not studied the impact of the pandemic on this population’s mental health and lifestyle factors.
Objectives:
To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients living with MS, with respect to mental health and lifestyle (diet, physical activity, sleep and substance use).
Methods:
Individuals with a known diagnosis of MS prior to the pandemic were contacted from the Burnaby Hospital MS Clinic database. The survey was composed of pre-validated questionnaires: PHQ2, GAD7, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), COVID-19 Fear Questionnaire for Chronic Medical Conditions and the Short Multidimensional Lifestyle Evaluation Confinement (SMILE-C). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS 27.
Results:
A total of 49 patients with MS, most self-identifying as Caucasian (n=46) with a mean age of 51.52 (10.86) responded to the survey. Forty respondents (82%) self-identified as female, and majority had a confirmed diagnosis for greater than 10 years (n=28). With respect to mental health, 5 respondents screened positive for depression (PHQ≥3), and 10 respondents positive for anxiety (GAD7≥10) despite no previous history of depression or anxiety respectively. Overall, the mean scores for depression, anxiety and stress were 1.98 (1.46), 7.31 (4.9) and 18.98 (7.74).
Lifestyle changes in the domains of diet, physical activity, sleep and substance use were assessed using the SMILE-C, in which higher scores are indicative of a healthier lifestyle. The highest score from the version utilized was 56, and the mean score for respondents was 42.46 (5.79). With respect to self-perception of lifestyle behaviours throughout the pandemic, 18 participants (37%) indicated choosing less healthy food options, 25 participants (51%) decreased or stopped physical activity. Notably, of the 18 participants who indicated a negative dietary change, 11 (61%) also had a negative change in their physical activity. Of the 20 individuals who indicated their sleep patterns changed during the pandemic, 85% selected they sleep for a shorter period of time or feel less rested when waking. Lastly, those who reported a change in substance use (n=10), seven indicated this was an increase in use.
Conclusions:
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in various changes to the lifestyles of patients living with MS. This study aims to assist healthcare workers who provide care to this population in initiating a conversation and potentially mitigating negative health behaviours adopted.