Trouble anxiété généralisée chez une patiente atteinte de sclérose en plaques : prise en charge par thérapie cognitivo-comportementale et émotionnelle

Abstract

BackgroundThe social, personal and financial costs of anxiety disorders in multiple sclerosis patients are considerable. A properly managed anxiety disorder in these patients can reduce the morbidity associated with this debilitating disease. Among the therapeutic means proposed for anxiety disorders, cognitive and behavioral therapies have a proven anxiolytic effect. The current study aimed to describe the cognitive and behavioral management of a female patient with severe generalized anxiety disorder comorbid with multiple sclerosis. MethodsThe clinical case presented in this study concerned a 42-year-old woman followed since 2007 at the Outpatient clinic department, National Institute of Neurology of Tunis, for a severe relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. In March 2018 she was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. The therapy took place over fifteen 45-minute weekly sessions (From February 8th to May 24th, 2018). Initial, intermediate and final evaluations included the “Penn State Worry Questionnaire” and the “Hamilton Anxiety Scale”. ResultsDuring the course of the therapy, we observed a clinical improvement in the patient's symptoms such a decreased of anxiety intensity and frequency of worries and an improvement in somatic complaints. The final evaluation showed that the objectives formulated with the patient were achieved and that there was an important improvement of the different scales of evaluation. ConclusionAccording to the available data, the follow-up of our patient showed that cognitive and behavioral therapy is an interesting option in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, including its severe and comorbid form with a disabling neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis.