Families with a parent suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) must cope with the unpredictable course of the disease. Most studies analyzing factors that influence coping abilities in families with a member affected with MS used questionnaires to assess this ability.
Methods
On the contrary, the present study used a semi-structured psychiatric interview and used the resulting information to calculate a general measure of coping ability (coping index [CI]). We administered this interview to 44 MS patients, their partners and offspring and conducted a neuropsychological and physical evaluation of the patients to determine the impact of physical disability, cognitive dysfunction, and depression on the process of coping by the patient, the healthy partner, and children.
Results
The CI of patients was best predicted by measures of their depressive symptoms, divided attention, and estimated verbal intelligence. None of the patient variables predicted the CI of healthy partners or their offspring. We found an association between the CI of the healthy partner and the children.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that MS patients’ emotional and neuropsychological functions are associated with their ability to cope with the disease. These should be carefully assessed at the beginning of treatment so that those factors known to negatively influence patient coping are targeted in the treatment plan if necessary. Comprehensive care of a patient with MS should include support of coping abilities of the family members.
2 Minden SL Schiffer RB . Affective disorders in multiple sclerosis. Review and recommendations for clinical research. Arch Neurol1990; 47: 98–104.
3.
3 Schubert DS Foliart RH . Increased depression in multiple sclerosis patients. A meta-analysis. Psychosomatics1993; 34: 124–130.
4.
4 Siegert RJ Abernethy DA . Depression in multiple sclerosis: a review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry2005; 76: 469–745.
5.
5 Feinstein A . The neuropsychiatry of multiple sclerosis. Can J Psychiatry2004; 49: 157–163.
6.
6 Rao SM Leo GJ Bernardin L Unverzagt F . Cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. I: frequency, patterns, and prediction. Neurology1991; 41: 685–691.
7.
7 Engel C Greim B Zettl UK . Kognitive Defizite bei Multipler Sklerose. Nervenarzt2005; 76: 943–953.
8.
8 Dujardi K Donze A Hautecoeur P . Attention impairment in recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis. Eur J Neurol1998; 5: 61–66.
11 Steck B . The psychosocial impact of multiple sclerosis on families and children. Int MSJ2000; 7: 63–70.
12.
12 Steck B Amsler F Kappos L Bürgin D . Gender-specific differences in the process of coping in families with a parent affected by a chronic somatic disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis). Psychopathology2001; 34: 236–244.
13.
13 McCabe MP McKern S McDonald E . Coping and psychosocial adjustment among people with multiple sclerosis. J Psychosom Res2004; 56: 355–361.
14.
14 Maes S Leventhal H de Ridder DTD . Coping with chronic diseases. In: M Zeidner NS Endler (eds), Handbook of coping: theory, research, application. New York: Wiley; 1996, p. 221–251.
15.
15 Lazarus RS Launier R . Stress-related transactions between person and environment. In: LA Pervin M Lewis (eds), Internal and external determinants of behaviour.New York: Plenum; 1978, p. 287–327.
16.
16 Goerres H Ziegeler G Friedrich H Lücke G . Krankheit und Bedrohung. Formen psychosozialer Bewältigung der Multiplen Sklerose. Z Psychosom Med Psychoanal1988; 34: 274–290.
17.
17 Bogle N Percy M Morrison W . Will i make it through this choppy water? a psychological characteristic as a predeterminant factor to coping with multiple sclerosis. Axone1999; 20: 63–66.
18.
18 Burnfield A . The psychosocial impact of MS. Int MSJ1995; 2: 1.
19.
19 Soderberg J . MS and the family system. In: RC Kalb LC Scheinberg (eds), Multiple sclerosis and the family.New York: Demos; 1992, p. 1–8.
20.
20 Kalb RC . The impact of multiple sclerosis on the family. Int MSJ1996; 3: 65–69.
21.
21 Lynch SG Kroencke DC Denney DR . The relationship between disability and depression in multiple sclerosis: the role of uncertainty, coping, and hope. Mult Scler2001; 7: 411–416.
22.
22 Folkman S Lazarus R . If it changes, it must be a process: a study of emotion and coping during the three stages of a college examination. J Pers Soc Psychol1985; 48: 150–170.
23.
23 Folkman S Lazarus R . Manual for the ways of coping questionnaire.Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press; 1988.
24.
24 Jalowiec A . Confirmatory factor analysis of the Jalowiec Coping Scale. In: Waltz, CF, Strickland, OL (eds), Measurement of nursing outcomes, Volume I: client centered outcomes. New York: Springer; 1988, p. 287–308.
25.
25 Carver CS Scheier MF Weintraub JK . Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Pers Soc Psychol1989; 56: 267–283.
26.
26 Murray HA . Manuel du “thematic apperception test”.Paris: Centre de Psychologie Appliqué; 1950.
27.
27 Bretherton I Oppenheim D Prentiss C . MacArthur Geschichte – Stamm Batterie; in collaboration with Buchsbaum, H, Emde, R, Lundquist, A, et al. Unpublished manual.Denver: University of Colorado Science Center; 1950.
28.
28 Von Staabs G . Der Szenotest.3rd ed.Bern: Huber; 1964.
29.
29 Winnicott DW . Therapeutic consultations in child psychiatry.London: Hogarth Press and The Institute of Psycho-Analysis; 1971.
30.
30 Zimmermann P; Fimm B; . Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung (TAP), Version 1.02c. Herzogenrath: Psytest; 1994.
31.
31 Rey A . L’examen clinique en psychologie.Paris: Presses Universitaires de France; 1964.
32.
32 Rao SM Hammeke TA McQuillen MP Khatri BO Lloyd D . Memory disturbance in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. Arch Neurol1984; 41: 625–631.
33.
33 Horn W . Leistungsprüfsystem LPS.Göttingen: Hogrefe; 1983.
34.
34 Sturm W Willmes K Horn W . Leistungsprüfsystem für 50-90jährige. (LPS 50+).Göttingen: Hogrefe; 1993.
36 Kurtzke JF . Rating neurological impairment in multiple sclerosis: an expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Neurology1983; 33: 1444–1452.
37.
37 Beck AT Ward C Mendelson M Mock J Erbaught J . An inventory measuring depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry1961; 4: 53–63.
38.
38 Beck AT Steer RA Garbin MG . Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: twenty-five years of evaluation. Clin Psychol Rev1988; 8: 77–100.
39.
39 Mohr DC Goodkin DE Gatto N Van der Wende J . Depression, coping and level of neurological impairment in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler1997; 3: 254–258.
40.
40 Arnett PA Randolph JJ . Longitudinal course of depression symptoms in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry2006; 77: 606–610.
41.
41 Goldman Consensus Group. The Goldman Consensus statement on depression in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler2005; 11: 328–337.
42.
42 Whitlock FA Siskind MM . Depression as a major symptom in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1980; 43: 861–865.
43.
43 Ron MA Logsdail SJ . Psychiatric morbidity in multiple sclerosis: a clinical and MRI study. Psychol Med1989; 19: 887–895.
44.
44 King KE Arnett PA . Predictors of dyadic adjustment in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler2005; 11: 700–707.
45.
45 Bobholz JA Rao SM . Cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: a review of recent developments. Curr Opin Neurol2003; 16: 283–288.
46.
46 Jean VM Beatty WW Paul RH . Psychological and neuropsychological predictors of coping patterns by patients with multiple sclerosis. J Clin Psychol1999; 55: 21–26.
47.
47 Beatty WW Hames KA Blanco CR Williamson SJ Wilbanks SL Olson KA . Correlates of coping style in patients with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler1998; 4: 440–443.
48.
48 Rutter M . Children of sick parents. An environmental and psychiatric study.London: Oxford University; 1966.
49.
49 Roy R . Consequences of parental illness on children: a review. Soc Work Soc Sci Rev1990–1991; 2: 109–121.
50.
50 Romer G Barkmann C Schulte-Markwort M Thomalla G Riedesser P . Children of somatically ill parents: a methodological review. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry2002; 7: 17–38.
51.
51 Plohmann AM Kappos L Ammann A . Computer assisted retraining of attentional impairments in patients with multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1998; 64: 455–462.
52.
52 Solari A Motta A Mendozzi L . Computer-aided retraining of memory and attention in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial. J Neurol Sci2004; 222: 99–104.
53.
53 Penner IK Kappos L Opwis K . Induced changes in brain activation using a computerized attention training in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In: K Opwis IK Penner (eds), Proceedings of KogWis05. The German cognitive science conference.Basel: Schwabe; 2005, p. 201–206.
