People with MS are more likely to suffer from depression than the general community, especially when newly diagnosed. Whilst there are a number of psychological treatments available, there are only a few designed specifically for depression in people with MS. Researchers at the University of Melbourne would like to address this and are conducting a trial directly comparing two different therapies, a cognitive behavioural therapy, which is a talk therapy the helps individuals learn skills about thinking and behaviour, and a supportive listening therapy, which is another type of talk therapy that involves talking about your problems.
This cognitive therapy trial is called ACTION-MS and currently recruiting people newly diagnosed with MS, (diagnosed in the last 5 years) who are able to travel to the Royal Melbourne Hospital to participate. If you would like to find out more information about this MS trial or see if there are other trials that you can participate in please visit the website.
There are MS trials run all around Australia and new trials are listed on the website regularly. The range of clinical trials listed on the website is broad and can involve as little as filling in an online questionnaire at home through to participating in drug trials testing new drugs.
It is important if you are considering getting involved in a study, particularly where it may affect other medications that you are taking, to talk to your treating doctor first. But getting involved in research is easy and it is of great benefit to the whole MS community. Together we can do so much more.
