Improving mental health in Multiple Sclerosis with an interpersonal emotion regulation intervention: A prospective,...

Over a third of people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) struggle with poor mental health, which exacerbates physical symptoms and complicates clinical treatment. To address this, we tested the efficacy of an interpersonal emotion regulation intervention: this intervention seeks to improve mental health by teaching participants to use emotion regulation strategies which leverage social support (e.g., reaching out to others for comfort when experiencing a stressful event).

Nineteen PwMS completed this prospective, blinded randomized controlled trial (intervention n = 10; control n = 9). Intervention participants met with an interventionist over six weeks to discuss their emotional challenges and develop goals to use interpersonal emotion regulation strategies. Participants in the control condition met with the interventionist on the same schedule but their emotion regulation strategies were only measured and not manipulated. Pre-registered primary outcomes were self-reported depression, stress, and quality of life (QoL). The pre-registered secondary outcome was self-reported social support.

Intervention participants' depression scores improved from time 1 to time 2 (mean difference=3.60, 95% CI [0.44-6.76]), yet remained unchanged for the control group (mean difference=-1.67, 95% CI [-5.00-1.67], overall interaction, F(1,17)=5.84, p=.027, η_p²=.256). The remaining primary (stress and QoL) and secondary (social support) outcomes did not show a significant effect of the intervention (stress: p=.601, η_p²=.016; QoL: p=.179, η_p²=.104; social support: p=.140, η_p²=.124).

Interpersonal emotion regulation is beneficial in improving depression in PwMS. Consequently, these strategies can be implemented in conjunction with existing mental health treatments in a holistic approach to improving well-being.