[Personality features in multiple sclerosis patients with a relapsing-remitting course of the disease]

The aim of this article was to find the differences between level of anxiety, level of depression and certain features of self-image during relapse and remission in multiple sclerosis patients.

Subjects were 42 patients of the Neurology Department at the Military Hospital in Lublin with relapsing--remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS); 26 patients in relapse and 16 in remission of the disease. All patients included into the study had a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis according to the McDonald criteria. Mean age of the studied patients was 36 years, mean disease duration--8 years. Patients were investigated with the use of Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Gough and Heilbrunn Adjective Check List (ACL)--a questionnaire designed for the study.

. Using the T-Student test, we compared results from MS patients in the period of relapse and in remission. Our results revealed statistically significant differences in the level of anxiety in State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and in Free Child (FC) scale of Adjective Check List (ACL).

Our results show that patients in relapse have a higher level of anxiety, more negative attitude towards themselves, lack of self-confidence and they isolate more from the society as compared to multiple sclerosis patients in remission.