Abstract
Objective. This study assesses and compares the mental health status of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in Poland during the second wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (November 2020) to a similar group whose mental health status was examined in November 2017. It also analyzed the psychological resources such as self-efficacy and health locus of control (HLC) and their relationship to mental health in both groups. Methods. Cross-sectional study included two groups of PwMS with 113 respondents each. The respondents completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 and questionnaires for assessing self-efficacy and HLC. The clinical and demographic data of participants were also collected. Results. No differences in mental health status were observed between the studied groups. A hierarchical regression model of the group studied in 2020 revealed that general self-efficacy (β = −0.21, p = 0.032), HLC—internal (β = −0.21, p = 0.035), and education (β = −0.18, p = 0.048) explained 18% of the variance in the mental health of PwMS, whereas according to the model of the group assessed in 2017 self-efficacy (β = –0.31, p < 0.001), HLC—chance (β = 0.45, p < 0.001), and HLC—internal (β = −0.37, p < 0.001) explained 48% of the variance. Conclusions. Study results suggest that the pandemic and the related lockdown had no effect on the mental health status of PwMS. At the same time, it was noted that well known determinants of mental health such as self-efficacy and HLC seemed to retain their prominent role for mental functioning in the pandemic.
Highlights
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic infection first occurred in China in December 2019 and quickly spread throughout the world
The results support the thesis, and, those research results indicating that there is no relationship between the pandemic and deterioration of mental health in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS)
Numerous reports have shown that the mental health of the general population has been drastically affected, along with a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress during a lockdown and increased cases of suicides, the first major meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and natural experiments showed that lockdowns do not have uniformly detrimental effects on mental health and that most people are psychologically resilient to their effects [43]
Summary
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic infection first occurred in China in December 2019 and quickly spread throughout the world. It was eventually declared as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. As of November 2021, more than 267 million confirmed COVID-19 cases have been identified and over 5 million deaths were reported worldwide. In Poland, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection was first officially reported at the beginning of March 2020. 2020, the number of daily new cases did not exceed 1000. The second wave of the pandemic hit the country a few weeks later and with much greater power
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
