Level of Preservation of Mental Health in People With Multiple Sclerosis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59519/mper3029Keywords:
anxiety, depression, mental health, multiple sclerosis, psychological resourcesAbstract
In people with multiple sclerosis, the course of the disease and secondary difficulties can often result in mental health difficulties. The aim of this research is to determine the level of mental health of people with multiple sclerosis. Given the current conditions of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, the research was conducted using an online survey. The questionnaire was available to respondents within the Facebook groups intended for mutual support of people with multiple sclerosis in the Balkans. The questionnaire is constructed of two parts, the first of which refers to general demographic data (gender, age and type of MS), while the second includes a standardized measuring instrument “Mental Health Inventory” (MHI) designed to assess the mental health of people with multiple sclerosis and consists of 18 items that include 4 subcategories (anxiety, depression, behavioral control and positive affect). The results of nonparametric analyzes show that, in the total sample (N = 65), there is no statistically significant difference in the level of mental health among subjects of different sex, age or with different types of multiple sclerosis. A statistically significant difference was observed in the frequencies of the categories of variables gender, age and type of MS, as well as within the mutual comparison of subscales on all relations except anxiety and positive affect. Given the size and uneven distribution of subjects within the sample, it is proposed that the studie should be repeat on a larger and more representative sample.
References
1. Beesley, R., Anderson, V., Harding, K. E., Joseph, F., Tomassini, V., Pickersgill, T. P., Robertson, N. P., & Tallantyre, E. C. (2018). Impact of the 2017 revisions to McDonald criteria on the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 24(13), 1786–1787. https://doi.org/10.1177/1352458518778007
2. Boeschoten, R. E., Braamse, A. M. J., Beekman, A. T. F., Cuijpers, P., van Oppen, P., Dekker,
J., & Uitdehaag, B. M. J. (2017). Prevalence of depression and anxiety in Multiple Sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 372, 331–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2016.11.067
3. Bragazzi, N. L. (2013). The Gap in the Current Research on the Link between Health Locus of Control and Multiple Sclerosis: Lessons and Insights from a Systematic Review. Multiple Sclerosis International, 2013, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/972471
4. Casetta, I., Riise, T., Wamme Nortvedt, M., Economou, N. T., De Gennaro, R., Fazio, P., … Granieri, E. (2009). Gender differences in health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 15(11), 1339–1346. doi:10.1177/1352458509107016
5. Eisenberg, S. A., Shen, B. J., Schwarz, E. R., & Mallon, S. (2012). Avoidant coping moderates the association between anxiety and patient-rated physical functioning in heart failure patients. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 35(3), 253–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9358-0
6. Galderisi, S., Heinz, A., Kastrup, M., Beezhold, J., & Sartorius, N. (2017). Propozycja nowej definicji zdrowia psychicznego. Psychiatria Polska, 51(3), 407–411. https://doi.org/10.12740/PP/74145
7. Hurt, C. S., Landau, S., Burn, D. J., Hindle, J. V., Samuel, M., Wilson, K., & Brown, R. G. (2012). Cognition, coping, and outcome in Parkinson’s disease. International Psychogeriatrics, 24(10), 1656–1663. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610212000749
8. Kaltsouda, A., Skapinakis, P., Damigos, D., Ikonomou, M., Kalaitzidis, R., Mavreas, V., & Siamopoulos, K. C. (2011). Defensive coping and health-related quality of life in chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional study. BMC Nephrology, 12(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2369-12-28
9. Kamińska, J., Koper, O. M., Piechal, K., & Kemona, H. (2017). Multiple sclerosis - etiology and diagnostic potential. Postepy Higieny i Medycyny Doswiadczalnej (Online), 71, 551–563. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0010.3836
10. Kisić Tepavčević, D., Pekmezović, T., & Drulović, J. (2009). Kvalitet života bolesnika sa multiplom sklerozom. Vojnosanitetski pregled, 66(8), 645-650.
11. Kristofferzon, M. L., Engström, M., & Nilsson, A. (2018). Coping mediates the relationship between sense of coherence and mental quality of life in patients with chronic illness: a cross-sectional study. Quality of Life Research, 27(7), 1855–1863. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1845-0
12. Lemus, H. N., & Warrington, A. E. (2020). Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID- 19 . The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect , the company ’ s public news and information . January.
13. Lysandropoulos, A. P., & Havrdova, E. (2015). “Hidden” factors influencing quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. European Journal of Neurology, 22, 28–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.12801
14. Miletić, V., Marotić, V., Pejović-Milovančević, M., & Peruničić, I. [2009]. Depresija i hronične somatske bolesti. Psihijatrija danas, 41(1-2), 55-64
15. Minden, S. L., Ding, L., Cleary, P. D., Frankel, D., Glanz, B. I., Healy, B. C., & Rintell, D. J. (2013). Improving the quality of mental health care in Multiple Sclerosis. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 335(1–2), 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2013.08.021
16. Nielsen-Prohl, J., Saliger, J., Güldenberg, V., Breier, G., & Karbe, H. (2013). Stress-stimulated volitional coping competencies and depression in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(3), 221–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.11.003
17. Prakash, R. S., Schirda, B., Valentine, T. R., Crotty, M., & Nicholas, J. A. (2019). Emotion dysregulation in multiple sclerosis: Impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 36(September), 101399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2019.101399
18. Schwartz, C., & Frohner, R. (2005). Contribution of Demographic, Medical, and Social Support Variables in Predicting the Mental Health Dimension of Quality of Life among People with Multiple Sclerosis. Health & Social Work, 30(3), 203–212. doi:10.1093/hsw/30.3.203
19. Schwenkenbecher, P., Wurster, U., Konen, F. F., Gingele, S., Sühs, K. W., Wattjes, M. P., Stangel, M., & Skripuletz, T. (2019). Impact of the McDonald Criteria 2017 on Early Diagnosis of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. Frontiers in Neurology, 10(March), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.00188
20. Slightam, C. A., Brandt, K., Jenchura, E. C., Lewis, E. T., Asch, S. M., & Zulman, D. M. (2018). “I had to change so much in my life to live with my new limitations”: Multimorbid patients’ descriptions of their most bothersome chronic conditions. Chronic Illness, 14(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742395317699448
21. Tauil, C. B., Grippe, T. C., Dias, R. M., Dias-Carneiro, R. P. C., Carneiro, N. M., Aguilar, A. C. R., da Silva, F. M., Bezerra, F., de Almeida, L. K., Massarente, V. L., Giovannelli, E. de C., Tilbery, C. P., Brandão, C. O., Santos, L. M. B., & dos Santos-Neto, L. (2018). Suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 76(5), 296–301. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x20180036
22. van Mierlo, M. L., Schröder, C., van Heugten, C. M., Post, M. W. M., de Kort, P. L. M., & Visser-Meily, J. M. A. (2014). The influence of psychological factors on Health-Related Quality of Life after stroke: A systematic review. International Journal of Stroke, 9(3), 341–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijs.12149
23. Wilski, M., Brola, W., & Tomczak, M. (2019). Health locus of control and mental health in patients with multiple sclerosis: Mediating effect of coping strategies. Research in Nursing and Health, 42(4), 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21955
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Saša Stanisavljević, Ivana Bubanja, Živana Cukić (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
