A new study published in Neurology suggests psychiatric conditions could be an early sign of MS that arise before traditional symptoms in some cases. In fact, data reveals that those with MS experience mental illness at almost twice the rate of the general population (28% compared to 14.9%). 

For the study, researchers used health records from over 6,000 people with MS in British Columbia and compared that information to over 31,000 patients without MS. They looked at the prevalence of psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. 

Researchers took into account five years of pre-MS detection records. This included physician and psychiatrist visits, hospitalizations, and prescriptions related to mental health, finding significantly higher rates of each category in those who went on to develop MS than those who didn’t. In addition, these numbers only increased for patients with MS each year leading up to the official disease onset. 

This suggests that MS development may begin years before other symptoms arise—symptoms such as physical tingles from nerve damage, trouble balancing, and vision changes. 

In no way does this finding suggest that depression and anxiety can predict MS, but it is helpful for researchers to understand what symptoms may arise earlier than others. Previous research suggests chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, anemia, and pain may be other early indicators of MS as well. 

Hopefully, with earlier detection, the options for intervention may increase, and therefore, physicians may be able to slow disease progression. 

What’s more, this finding encourages healthcare providers to view depression and anxiety as a symptom, not always a final diagnosis. 

Nevertheless, there’s a critical need for more research on MS onset, progression, and treatment.