Gaps exist between unmet need and access to mental health care in patients with MS. Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) are linked to disparities in mental health care in these patients.
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not immune to the psychological and mental effects that the disease can bring about over time. In fact, psychiatric symptoms are common in patients with MS and may contribute to worsened outcomes. However, the exact extent of the impact of psychiatric problems may vary based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). A ecent study explored the possible link between race, ethnicity, and SES with psychiatric wellness, or lack thereof, in patients with MS.
Researchers carried out a national web-based survey in which patients with MS answered questions on race, ethnicity, and SES. Survey participants also answered questions about perspectives on mental health, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale 5-item (MFIS-5), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, among other questionnaires and score models for mental health status. Neighborhood-level SES, education level, and self-reported household income were also assessed.
Out of 2095 participants, 7% were Black/African American, 5.4% were Hispanic/Latino, and 81.8% were female. Survey participants in the lowest quartile of nSES had a higher chance of being Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino. Ethnicity and race were not linked to psychiatric symptom burden. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino survey participants were more likely than White and non-Hispanic/Latino participants to state that they would seek mental healthcare services if they were offered in tandem with their MS care.
Low SES was associated with a higher burden of psychiatric symptoms and a lower probability of symptom recovery after mental health treatment. Clinicians may be able to provide support for their patients with MS by referring them to mental health services, if mental health treatment is not already offered in tandem with MS treatment.
Source:
Pimentel Maldonado, D. A., Eusebio, J. R., Amezcua, L., Vasileiou, E. S., Mowry, E. M., Hemond, C. C., Umeton Pizzolato, R., Berrios Morales, I., Radu, I., Ionete, C., & Fitzgerald, K. C. (2022). The impact of socioeconomic status on mental health and health-seeking behavior across race and ethnicity in a large multiple sclerosis cohort. Mult Scler Relat Disord, 58, 103451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2021.103451
