Psychological Consultation Services at a Multiple Sclerosis Clinic

Despite the existence of effective treatments for mental health problems in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), such problems often go untreated or undertreated because of a variety of patient, provider, and organizational factors. As untreated psychological difficulties can interfere with MS treatment adherence, a collaborative partnership between medical and mental health providers is crucial. In the fall of 2003, the Medical College of Georgia's Augusta MS Center implemented an MS psychological consultation service. The goal of this service is to remove barriers to the emotional well-being of individuals with MS through convenient, collaborative, and coordinated psychological services provided during routine MS medical appointments. To better understand patient use of this new program and the types of problems addressed, we conducted a retrospective review of documentation from 197 consultations held from July 2004 through June 2006. Summary data on demographics, presenting problems, and resultant t...