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. 2022 Aug;27(9):2013-2026.
doi: 10.1177/13591053211014583. Epub 2021 May 18.

Depression, psychosocial correlates, and psychosocial resources in individuals with mast cell activation syndrome

Jennifer Nicoloro SantaBarbara  1 , Marci Lobel  2
Affiliations

Depression, psychosocial correlates, and psychosocial resources in individuals with mast cell activation syndrome

Jennifer Nicoloro SantaBarbara et al. J Health Psychol. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Individuals with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), a rare chronic disease, experience unpredictable physical symptoms and diagnostic challenges resulting in poor emotional states. The prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms were examined among 125 participants who completed the CES-D and relevant instruments. The majority reported a clinically-significant level of depression which was especially common among younger participants and those who reported greater loneliness or more disease-specific stressors. Greater magnitude of depressive symptoms was associated with greater illness intrusiveness, less social support, and lower optimism. Results highlight the value of interventions targeting loneliness and stressors unique to this population.

Keywords: depression; loneliness; mast cell activation syndrome; rare chronic illness; social support.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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