COVID-19-related anxiety was common among people with myasthenia gravis (MG) during the pandemic, and its effects may continue to linger, according to research published recently in Brain and Behavior.
“This makes an ongoing psychological and emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among MG patients likely and highlights the need for a screening for depression and anxiety in this population in clinical practice,” explained this study’s authors.
This study not only emphasized the need for regular screening for anxiety in patients with MG but also more attention to psychological well-being during future public health crises.
The prospective survey followed 648 adults with MG over three phases between May 2020 and February 2022, producing 1,009 responses in total. Fear for one’s own health emerged as the most common and strongest worry, reported by 83.9% of participants. In contrast, concerns about social or economic consequences were less common.
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Anxiety was closely tied to the diagnosis of MG, with 75.1% of respondents saying their condition influenced their fears. The most frequent MG-specific concern was that COVID-19 infection might worsen myasthenic symptoms, a fear reported by 66.6% of patients. Many were also worried about greater infection risk from their immunosuppressive medications, which were used by 69.9% of participants overall.
Women and those receiving immunosuppressive treatment were more likely to experience intense fear for their own health. Importantly, this fear also played a role in vaccination. Of the patients surveyed, 92% chose to be vaccinated when shots became available, and fear for personal health was the only factor that predicted this decision.
The authors said these results show that patients with MG with pandemic-related anxieties were more focused on personal health risks than on the well-being of others, a trend different from the general population. This heightened focus likely reflects the reality of living with an autoimmune condition that often means an increased risk of infection, and that is vulnerable to worsening if infection occurs.
Experts note that the psychological impact of these experiences is not likely to fade quickly. For patients, this could mean ongoing worry even after the height of the pandemic has passed. Clinicians may need to treat anxiety as part of comprehensive MG care, helping patients manage both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease.
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