Correlation between fatigue and self-esteem in patients with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE To assess the possible association of fatigue with self-esteem in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. METHOD Thirty patients were prospectively assessed. None of them presented moderate or severe depression or anxiety and their degree of disability was low (EDSS<or=3.5). They had been clinically stable for at least three months and had been receiving the same medication for at least six months. Socioeconomic level was assessed. Severity of fatigue and self-esteem were evaluated using specific, validated scales. Patients with moderate to severe anxiety and/or depression were excluded. RESULTS Low self-esteem correlated with fatigue (p=0.01), but not with any other variables, such as age, gender, EDSS, MS duration, number of relapses, mild depression and/or anxiety. CONCLUSION Greater severity of fatigue in MS correlates with low self-esteem, thus suggesting that this chronic complaint that affects so many patients can interfere with the way in which they see and value themselves.