Clinical correlates of generalized worry in multiple sclerosis

Anxiety disorders are common in multiple sclerosis (MS). Chronic worry is the defining feature of generalized anxiety. Despite this, only one study has examined the impact of chronic worry in MS. The present investigation explored the relationship between excessive worry and common physical, emotional, and neuropsychological symptoms in a community-based sample of 50 patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS. As expected, MS patients reported significantly more worry than a group of 45 healthy controls. Correlational analyses revealed that MS patients' elevated worry was associated with fatigue, sleep disturbance, problem-solving deficits, pain, and disability status. Follow-up analyses indicated that worry and anxiety may represent related but distinct constructs. Clinicians are urged to regularly monitor and treat pathological worry in MS.