Social support in multiple sclerosis: associations with quality of life, depression, and anxiety
Open accessAbstract
Objective Social support plays a role in the well-being of persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The aims of this study were to compare social support in PwMS with relapsing versus progressive disease, examine the relationships with patient reported outcomes (PROs), and investigate social support longitudinally.Methods For this study, we have performed an analysis of data routinely collected from subjects enrolled in the CLIMB at the Partners MS Center. Subjects (n = 789) completed measures of social support, quality of life (QOL), depression, and anxiety. Relapsing and progressive PwMS were compared using a two sample t-test, and linear regression was used to adjust for other variables. Correlations between social support and PROs were assessed using partial Pearson's correlation coefficient. A random intercept and slope model with a linear trend with time estimated the change over time.Results Subjects with relapsing MS reported higher overall social support than subjects with progressive disease (difference in means = -6.7; 95% CI: -10.3, -3.1) as well as higher levels of 3 of the 4 dimensions of social support measured. These differences remained after adjusting for age and gender only, but were attenuated adjusting for age, gender, and depression (adjusted difference in means = -1.2; 95% CI: -5.0, 2.6). Higher overall social support was associated with higher QOL (r = 0.16-0.27), lower depression (r = -0.36), and lower state (r = -0.27) and trait (r = -0.29) anxiety. Social support was mostly stable over time.Conclusion Social support was associated with QOL, depression, and anxiety in PwMS.
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Previous studies have shown that people with relapsing-remitting MS may have better social support than people with progressive MS.
“Previous studies have also shown that people with relapsing-remitting MS may have better social support than people with progressive MS (54) and the higher social support was associated with higher quality of life and lower anxiety (55) in people with MS.”
From Key demographics and psychological skills associated with adjustment to progressive Multiple Sclerosis early in the diagnosis (2022) · cites this paper as [54]
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Bogosian, A., Day, F., Norton, S., Silber, E., Sakel, M., Sharrack, B., & Moss-Morris, R. (2022) · Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences · doi:10.3389/fresc.2022.966133 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Previous studies have also shown that people with relapsing-remitting MS may have better social support than people with progressive MS (54) and the higher social support was associated with higher quality of life and lower anxiety (55) in people with MS.”
- Authors
- Ratajska, A., Glanz, B. I., Chitnis, T., Weiner, H. L., & Healy, B. C.
- Affiliations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Healy, Brian C.
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-11
- Volume
- 138
- Pages
- 110252
- ISSN
- 0022-3999 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3087200787
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 5.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Merck
- Department of Defense
- National MS Society
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Health and Well-being Studies
- Keywords
- social support, multiple sclerosis, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, progressive multiple sclerosis, quality of life, depression, anxiety, patient-reported outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Patient Reported Outcome Measures, Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis, Quality of Life, Social Support
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