Family Functioning and Multiple Sclerosis: Study Protocol of a Multicentric Italian Project

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychology
• Family Studies

Background:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease impacting physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being.
• MS symptoms can negatively affect family dynamics, including marital relationships and parental bonding.
• Individual traits like alexithymia and social support influence family relationship quality in chronic illness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate family functioning in MS patients and their families.
• To investigate the associations between family relationships, alexithymia, psychological distress, and social support.
• To enhance understanding of family dynamics in the MS population for clinical and research applications.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of 300 families affected by MS from Italian medical centers.
• Collection of sociodemographic and clinical data.
• Administration of questionnaires via an online platform to assess family functioning, dyadic relationships, parental bonding, alexithymia, distress, and social support.

Main Results:

• The study will analyze perceived family functioning, dyadic relationships, and parental bonding.
• Associations between relationship quality and alexithymia, psychological distress, and social support will be examined.
• Results will provide insights into factors influencing family dynamics in MS.

Conclusions:

• This research offers a comprehensive assessment of family functioning in MS.
• Understanding these dynamics can guide interventions and support systems for MS patients and their families.
• The findings will contribute to a holistic view of MS care, integrating family well-being.