Nursing home residents with severe multiple sclerosis report being less tense and pessimistic than similar individuals receiving care at home, according to recently published research findings.

Investigators based in New York looked at patients affiliated with 16 New York Multiple Sclerosis Consortium centers. Out of 924 subjects, 94 were living in a nursing home.

The nursing home patients were demographically similar to those receiving home care,  but were generally in worse shape from a clinical standpoint and were less likely to be using disease-modifying therapy, the researchers determined.

On a standard questionnaire, the nursing home residents reported less tension than home-based patients (52% versus 65%) and less pessimism (51% versus 65%), the researchers found.

The findings indicate that further research is needed, and the study authors suggested that “constructive interventions” might improve home-based support.

Findings appear in the journal Neurology. The authors are affiliated with the State University of New York Jacobs MS Center in Buffalo and the New York State Multiple Sclerosis Consortium. None reported a nursing home affiliation.