Investigation of the relationship of anticipated stigma with quality of life and loss of functionality in patients with multiple sclerosis

AIM: Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic condition that can create an anticipation of stigma. Anticipated stigma can have negative psychological and physical consequences. MS disease can also affect mental health in terms of regions involved in the nervous system. The aim of this study is to measure the expected stigma in MS patients, compare it with healthy controls, and examine its relationship with quality of life and functionality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 51 MS patients who applied to the Neurology Outpatient Clinic of BAIBU Faculty of Medicine between January 2022 and April 2022, who consented to participate in the study and met the inclusion criteria and did not meet the exclusion criteria, and 51 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and education were included in the study. The information about the sociodemographic and medical conditions of the participants was recorded with the sociodemographic and clinical data form prepared by the researcher. Anticipated stigma levels were measured with the chronic illness anticipated stigma scale (CIASS). Depression and anxiety levels of the individuals were measured with the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life -54 inventory (MSQoL-54). Personality beliefs were evaluated with the Personality Belief Scale-short form(PBQ-SF). The sense of coherence levels of the participants were measured with the revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R). The Expanded Disability Status Scale-(EDSS) was administered to the MS patients by the researcher. A Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders - Clinician's Version (SCID-I) was administered to the participants in the study by the researcher. Results: Sense of coherence was significantly lower in MS patients compared to controls, and anticipated stigma was significantly higher. Anticipated stigma and age were negatively correlated in MS patients. There was a moderate statistically significant relationship between anticipated stigma and quality of life in MS patients, which was not observed in controls. The prevalence of mental illness in MS patients was found to be 56%. Depression and anxiety scores of MS patients were significantly higher than controls. Depression and quality of life scores in MS patients show a high-power negative correlation that was not observed in controls. Dependent and borderline personality beliefs were significantly higher in MS patients than controls. In MS patients, emotional stability was negatively correlated with anxiety and positively correlated with cognitive functions. In multiple linear regression models, emotional consistency predicted stigma negatively; The number of children and the environment in which the participant lived (village>district>province) predicted stigma positively. Conclusion:, It is recommended to consider the expectations of stigma, evaluate the presence of depression, and encourage approaches that strengthen sense of coherence when working with MS patients. There is a need for larger scale out-of-hospital prospective studies on the anticipated stigma in MS. KEYWORDS: Multiple Sclerosis, stigmatization, functionality, quality of life, personality beliefs