Attitude towards the disease and quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis as a target of personalized psychotherapy for PTSD

Attitude towards the disease and quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis as a target of personalized psychotherapy for PTSDA chronic, progressive, potentially disabling disease with a poor prognosis can trigger the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The article presents the results of a survey of 127 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), of which 61 patients had PTSD symptoms that developed in connection with the underlying disease were verified. The control group included 67 patients with MS who were resistant to stress. To fulfill the objectives of the study, all patients underwent a thorough collection of anamnestic information. To study the structure of the internal picture of the disease, we used a test technique aimed at diagnosing the type of attitude toward the disease (TOBOL). The study of QOL indicators was carried out using the SF-36 questionnaire.
To assess the cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects of anxiety about progression, the following questionnaires were used: “A short questionnaire for assessing the fear of disease progression” A. Mehnert, P. Herschbach, P. Berg (2006), adapted by N.А. Sirota, D.V. Moskovchenko (2014) and “Questionnaire of cognitive ideas about the disease” A. Evers, F. Kraaimaat (1998), adapted by N.A. Sirota, D.V. Moskovchenko (2014). As a result of the study,   it was revealed that the patients of the main group have significantly lower scores of both physical and mental functioning when assessing the quality of life. At the same time, patients with PTSD are characterized by a higher intensity of anxiety about progression, negative thinking, and emotional reactions associated with the disease. An inadequate internal picture of the disease, characterized by the presence of mental maladjustment due to the disease, prevails in the group of patients with PTSD. All of these factors can be predictors of the development of PTSD. It is necessary to conduct further studies of the psychological characteristics of this group of patients in order to identify the targets of psychotherapeutic influence.

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