Major depressive disorder and health care costs in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is associated with elevated levels of depressive symptoms and an elevated frequency of depressive disorders. Depressive disorders, in general, are associated with substantial direct and indirect economic costs, and have been shown to increase the costs associated with the management of medical conditions in a variety of clinical settings. However, the impact of depressive disorders on costs associated with MS have not been evaluated.