Course of depression during the initiation of interferon beta-1a treatmentfor multiple sclerosis

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that increases in depression after ini tiation of treatment with interferon beta-la for multiple sclerosis can be explained as representing a return to pretreatment levels of depression. Design: Level of depression in patients with multiple sclerosis was assesse d at 3 time points: 2 weeks before initiation of interferon beta-la treatme nt, at initiation of treatment, and at 2-month follow-up. Setting: A health maintenance organization. Patients: Fifty-six patients with confirmed relapsing forms of multiple scl erosis. Main Outcome Measure: The depression-dejection scale of the Profile of Mood States. Results: Patients who scored high on the depression measure 2 weeks before the initiation of interferon beta-la treatment showed significant reduction in depression at the initiation of treatment. However, depression returned nearly to initial levels within 2 months. Conclusions: These findings suggest that increases in depression after init iation of interferon beta-la treatment are related to level of depression 2 weeks before initiation of treatment. Physicians should assess history of depression for all patients in whom interferon beta-la treatment is initiat ed. Patients with a recent history of depression are at risk for increased depression within 2 months after starting interferon beta-la treatment, eve n though they may not be depressed at the time of treatment initiation.