Coping with multiple sclerosis-the role of social support

Objective: The aim of this study was to get insights in mechanisms of coping and social support in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Background: Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in young adults. MS strains the patient through its unpredictable course and increasing disability.

Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Two hundred and forty-three patients with MS were consecutively examined at two neurological hospitals. Besides sociodemographic variables, the level of impairment, depression, social support, and coping behavior was assessed.

Results: Researched patients were on average 44.0 years old (SD=11.6), were diagnosed for 8.2 years (SD=7.1), and had a mean EDSS of 4.0 (SD=2.2). Patients with MS with an EDSS of 3.0-6.0 are using more intensively cognitive or behavioral coping techniques than less (EDSS≤2.5) or stronger impaired patients (EDSS≥6.5). The level of impairment was further correlated with the amount of reported social support.

Conclusion: Differences in coping behavior could be observed for different levels of impairment through MS. Patients tackle more intensively and more actively with their disease when trying to adapt to increasing disability with an EDSS range between 3.0 and 6.0. In addition, the coping behavior of patients with MS was connected to social support, especially support by family, friends, or other patients with MS. Results refer to the importance of special trainings to enhance coping abilities of patients with MS.