Author Of 1 Presentation
LB1171 - Embracing resilience in Multiple Sclerosis: a new perspective from COVID-19 pandemic. (ID 1742)
Abstract
Background
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severe acute respiratory syndrome due to Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, determined cross-sectional social and emotive consequences, representing an unprecedented social experiment. Past epidemiological experiences and recent studies dealing with COVID-19 pandemic and healthy population already showed the deep albeit heterogeneous psychological repercussions of pandemics. Nevertheless, little is known about the relationship between COVID-19 outbreak and patients with chronic diseases, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in particular, and about the possible strategies for boosting resilience, a well-known protective and buffering instrument helping in facing the challenges of life.
Objectives
To assess the changes in mental distress during COVID-19 outbreak in patients with MS (pw-MS) and to identify predictive factors that could help in developing resilience and facing COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
We enrolled 106 pw-MS (69 relapsing-remitting, 20 secondary-progressive and 17 primary-progressive) who had undergone neuropsychological assessment before outbreak (between January the 1st 2019 and March the 1st 2020): patients were previously tested with Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and patient-reported MS Neuropsychological Screening Questionnaire (MSNQ-P). All patients were asked to fulfill an online survey comprehensive of sociodemographic information (e.g. marital and employment status), HADS self-rating Scale, MSNQ-P Questionnaire and finally Connor-Davidson Resilience self-rating Scale (CD-RISC 25), in order to evaluate resilience. Statistical analyses (repeated-measures ANCOVA) were performed using SPSS 23.
Results
Even if no significant changes in HADS and MSNQ-P scores were detected during COVID-19 pandemic in our population, pre-existing lower HADS and MSNQ-P scores were found to be significantly (p<0.0001) and independently associated with a better resilience attitude; conversely, no demographic, disease- and treatment-related elements resulted predictive neither of anxiety, depression and perceived cognitive status nor of better resilient behaviour
Conclusions
Our study confirms the fundamental role of anxiety diagnosis and of neuropsychological evaluation in pw-MS, outlining its compelling role in predicting a resilient and positive response in case of pervasive commitment and the necessity of a comprehensive care for pw-MS.