Coping is conceived as the cognitive and behavioral efforts of a patient to adjust to disease and it may impact quality of life.
We proposed to study the association between coping styles used by patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
90 MS patients (RRMS 95.56%; PPMS 2.22%; SPMS 2.22%) were included. 65.56% female; mean age: 40.97±12.85 years; education:13.46±3.93 years; Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 2.48±1.79; disease evolution 10.76±9.72. Outcomes measures: Argentine adaptation of the Inventory of coping responses CRI-A for adults; EDSS; Beck Depression Inventory; Fatigue Severity Scale and MS International Quality of Life questionnaire. Only the coping styles and the strategies that provided significant results were detailed: Problem-focused coping style, their strategies Positive Reappraisal (PR) and Seeking alternative Rewards (SR); Emotion-focused coping style and their strategy Emotional Discharge (ED).
Significant correlations were found between coping styles, their strategies and HRQoL dimension. Patients with closer relationships with family (r=0.23) and friends (r=0.24), and better sentimental and sexual lives (r=0.32) obtained higher scores in problem-focused coping style, adopting an active role against the stressor. Positive and significant correlations were also found between the PR strategy and total HRQoL (r=0.21), relationship with friends (r=0.23) and sexual and sentimental life (r=.30). Furthermore, a significant positive relation was established between the SR strategy and the dimensions of activities of daily living (r= 0.25), relationships with friends (r=0.31), sentimental and sexual life (r= 0.33) and total HRQoL (r=0.28). On the other hand, patients who obtained higher scores in emotion-focused coping style reported lower HRQoL (r=-0.23), lower psychological well-being (r=-0.39) and lower scores in the dimensions of quality of life related to coping (r=-0.43) and the feeling of rejection (r=-0.23). The ED strategy was negatively correlated with total HRQoL (r=-0.29) and psychological well-being (r=-0.50).
The results obtained indicate that coping styles should be considered to improve the HRQoL and to study possible interventions in coping skills.