Author Of 2 Presentations
P0795 - Cognitive and psychological predictors of self-management behaviors in persons with multiple sclerosis (ID 904)
Abstract
Background
Effectively managing all the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a challenge. One approach is self-management, which helps persons with chronic health conditions become more actively involved in their care. While there is evidence that self-management can be beneficial for persons with MS, little is known on the role that cognitive and psychological functioning play in self-management behaviors.
Objectives
To examine whether aspects of cognitive and psychological functioning are predictive of self-management behaviors, as measured by the MS Self-Management Scale-Revised (MSSM-R).
Methods
Participants (n = 111) were persons with MS who completed a brief neuropsychological battery, including demographics and measures of objective (performance-based) and subjective (self-reported) cognition, personality, emotional symptomatology, determinants of quality of life, and resiliency to MS-related challenges. Variables with a p-value of <.10 in the bivariate analyses were entered into logistic regressions, with the MSSM-R’s five subscales (Healthcare Provider Relationships and Communication, Treatment Adherence/Barriers, Social/Family Support, MS Knowledge and Information, and Health Maintenance Behavior) as individual outcomes.
Results
Self-reported cognition was a significant predictor in several models, with subjective prospective memory predicting Healthcare Provider Relationships and Communication (b = -.19) and Treatment Adherence/Barriers (b = -.41), attention predicting Social/Family Support (b = -.08), and planning/organization predicting Health Maintenance Behavior (b = -.28). Objective prospective memory, on the other hand, was a predictor of MS Knowledge and Information (b = .02). Certain personality traits emerged as predictors: high levels of conscientiousness were associated with Treatment Adherence/Barriers (b = 1.62), as were high levels of openness (b = 1.15) and agreeableness (b = 1.24) with MS Knowledge and Information. Components of resiliency and quality of life were also significant in certain models.
Conclusions
Cognitive functioning plays a significant role in self-reported self-management behaviors, with patients’ subjective report contributing more frequently in the models than their objective performance. Coupled with the involvement of certain personality traits and determinants of resiliency and quality of life in the models, these findings highlight the importance of cognitive and psychological functioning in persons with MS’ self-management abilities.
P1029 - Examining the relationship between the Multiple Sclerosis Resiliency Scale and the Five Factor Model of Personality (ID 905)
Abstract
Background
When faced with challenges related to their multiple sclerosis (MS), persons with MS can respond a number of ways. Being resilient or “bouncing back” is a common response. The association between trait resilience and the Five Factor Model of personality (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) has been examined with a number of resiliency measures, but not yet with the MS Resiliency Scale (MSRS), a measure designed to assess the psychological, physical, and social aspects pertaining to resilience to MS-related challenges.
Objectives
To examine the relationship between the MSRS and personality factors, as measured by the 60-item NEO Five Factor Inventory-3 (NEO-FFI-3).
Methods
Participants (n = 111) were persons with MS who completed a brief neuropsychological battery as part of a larger study examining self-management behaviors. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to examine the associations between the MSRS and the Five Factor Model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were run to determine how well the personality factors classified persons with high resilience on the MSRS (defined as ≥75th percentile).
Results
The MSRS total score has a large, negative association with neuroticism (r = -.61, p <.001), moderate, positive associations with conscientiousness (r = .44, p <.001) and extraversion (r = .43, p <.001), and a small, positive association with agreeableness (r = .27, p = .004). There was no significant relationship with openness (r = .02, p = .818). Neuroticism had good classification of high resilience (AUC = .84), with a T-score of 45 and below having 79% sensitivity and specificity. Extraversion and conscientiousness both had fair classification accuracy (AUC = .75) with their respective cut-off T-scores (≥57 and ≥53) having sensitivities of 62% and 69% and specificities of 85% and 72%.
Conclusions
Consistent with previous research, higher resilience to MS-related challenges was related to lower neuroticism, higher extraversion and conscientiousness, and to a lesser extent, agreeableness. These findings suggest that individuals who are more resilient experience fewer negative emotions and greater levels of self-control and social engagement, providing further insight into how persons with MS cope with MS-related challenges. Future interventions targeting resilience should consider building upon individual strengths (self-control, social engagement) while simultaneously reducing relative weaknesses (emotional dysregulation).