Psychiatric symptoms due to multiple sclerosis

Depression is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), mania is rare and psychosis is extremely rare. Causes of depression in patients with MS include:

• a reaction to the diagnosis, its physical effects and its effects on relationships, employment and social life
• an adverse effect of drugs taken for MS
• an attack of demyelination.

Behavioural disorders can occur due to frontal lobe demyelination.

The full range of psychotropic drugs can be used to treat psychiatric symptoms in patients with MS (see advice in the Psychotropic guideline).