Anxiety and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis: The mediating effects of perceived social support
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND Social support has been identified as a buffering or intervening variable in stressful life events. Research has demonstrated that greater social support is associated with better mental health in multiple sclerosis (MS), but little is known about its links to specific aspects of mental health. We therefore investigated if and how perceived social support modulates depression, anxiety and fatigue in patients with MS. METHODS We recruited 112 patients with MS from three French hospitals and administered a demographic and clinic interview, and self-report measures of perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale). We then analyzed the relationships between these domains using path analysis. RESULTS The causal path model provided an excellent fit for the data (χ2 = 9.8, p = .778, standardized root mean square residual = 0.043, comparative fit index = 1.00). Results indicated that the level of social support from friends is a predictor of anxiety symptomatology. Thus, anxiety may have both a direct and an indirect impact on fatigue and depression levels. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the important roles played by perceived social support and anxiety in MS. These should be key pharmacological and non-pharmacological targets for optimizing patient care. (NCT 02-880-553).
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Higher social support is associated with higher quality of life and lower anxiety in people with 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 [55]
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References 52 · Cited by 95
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [31]31. Montel, S., Bungener, C., 2007. [Mood and emotional disorders in Multiple Sclerosis: a literature review]. Rev. Neurol. (Paris) 163, 27-37.
- Authors
- Henry, A., Tourbah, A., Camus, G., Deschamps, R., Mailhan, L., Castex, C., Gout, O., & Montreuil, M.
- Affiliations
- Cognition, Santé, Société (FR)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims (FR)
- Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild (FR)
- Hôpital La Porte Verte (FR)
- Université Paris 8 (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Henry, Audrey
- Castex, Cédric
- Venue
- Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-01
- Volume
- 27
- Pages
- 46-51
- ISSN
- 2211-0348 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2895088894
- Semantic Scholar
- bf43b0681c871fc0464a593b1403e7848e8cfc46
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 7.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hal.science
- Licence
- Locations
- Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- multiple sclerosis, perceived social support, anxiety, depression, fatigue, mediation, friends, mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Support, Young Adult
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