Quantitative psychiatric assessment of patients with myasthenia gravis

The prevalence of emotional disorders in a group of 52 patients suffering from myasthenia gravis (MG) attending a neurological out-patient clinic was determined by a psychiatrist using the General Health Questionnaire (28 item) and the Present State Examination (9th edition). Contrary to previous reports, the prevalence of emotional disorders for this group was no greater than for a control group of outpatients, nor for groups of patients with other diagnoses previously assessed by the GHQ by other investigators. Approximately half the myasthenic patients and half the controls were being treated with alternate day steroid therapy. Contrary to expectation, the frequency of emotional disorder in the group of patients taking steroids was significantly less than in the group not on steroids.