Specificity in perceived social support in multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

IntroductionSocial support is one of the functions of social relationships that modify stress. Social supportive resources play important role in helping patients to adjust to the disease. Not much is known about social support in multiple sclerosis patients while it is one of the available interpersonal resources.Objectivesand aims To examine the specificity in perceived social support in multiple sclerosis patients.MethodsThe sample were 104 in-patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (both men and women; mean age 38, SD = 10). All patients included in this study filled out the 22-item Russian version of the social support questionnaire (F-SOZU-22, G. Sommer, T. Fydrich in 1989, adaptation developed by A. Kholmogorova in 2006). Among them there were patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.ResultsThe entire sample reported the normal level of social support. One can mention that multiple sclerosis patients did not differ in general level of perceived social support from the healthy subjects. The exception was the overall satisfaction of social support, which reflected its statistically higher level in multiple sclerosis patients (P < 0.05). Further analysis showed no significant differences in perceived social support in patients associated with gender factor and clinical forms of multiple sclerosis (P > 0.05).ConclusionsThe perceived social support in multiple sclerosis patients is characterized by normal levels of its emotional and instrumental components and inclusion in the network of close social relationships. However, the patients of both genders do not feel stability of these relations and have a deceased sense of security that can be a significant risk factor for depression.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.