Surviving a global pandemic: The experience of depression, anxiety, and loneliness among individuals with multiple sclerosis

•The COVID-19 pandemic is one the most significant worldwide health pandemics in modern history and has resulted in has been increased depression, anxiety, and loneliness in the general population.•However, populations who demonstrated pre-pandemic emotional disturbance and social isolation, such as individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), are likely uniquely vulnerable to such symptoms.•The present investigation examines the emotional outcomes, including reports of loneliness, in individuals with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic.•We particularly examine how individuals’ experiences during the pandemic may contribute to a specific COVID-19-related depression or anxiety.•A unique contribution of the investigation is a comparison individuals’ experience of depression and anxiety prior to the pandemic (acquired through previous studies) and current depression and anxiety as well as its contribution to current loneliness and distress related to the pandemic. The world has been experiencing one of the most significant worldwide health pandemics in modern history. The result has been increased depression, anxiety, and loneliness in the general population. However, populations who demonstrated pre-pandemic emotional disturbance and social isolation, such as individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), are likely uniquely vulnerable to such symptoms. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the emotional outcomes, including reports of loneliness, in individuals with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic. We additionally sought to examine how individuals’ experiences during the pandemic may contribute to a specific COVID-19-related depression or anxiety. 142 individuals with MS who previously participated in a national, online, survey-based study were asked to complete an online survey assessing their current level of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in the rates of depression and anxiety were noted, with approximately 54% and 33% reporting “new” depression or anxiety, respectively. Given this increase, we examined how individuals with “new” depression or anxiety differed from those without depression and anxiety and those with pre-pandemic depression and/or anxiety. Significant differences in person-specific factors (e.g., personality, self-efficacy) were noted between the groups. Increased loneliness was also found among both those with depression or anxiety regardless of whether “new” or pre-pandemic