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Emotional competencies in multiple sclerosis
Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani1, Robert W Motl2, Laleh Sadeghi Bahmani3
1Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
|August 18, 2023
Summary
Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit lower emotional competencies compared to the general population and those with major depressive disorder. These deficits are linked to increased MS symptoms, suggesting emotional skills as a key intervention target.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Emotional competencies are vital for psychological well-being and social functioning.
- Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience deficits in these areas, yet emotional competencies remain understudied in MS.
- This study addresses the gap by comparing emotional competencies in MS patients to general and clinical populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the emotional competencies of individuals with MS against the general population and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
- To examine the relationship between emotional competencies and common MS symptoms, including insomnia, depression, fatigue, and paresthesia.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1135 individuals with MS self-assessed their emotional competencies and symptom severity.
- Emotional competency data from historical samples of the general population (N=622) and MDD outpatients (N=50) were used for comparison.
- Statistical analyses compared competency levels between groups and correlated competencies with symptom scores.
Main Results:
- Persons with MS demonstrated significantly lower emotional competencies than both the general population (large effect size) and MDD outpatients (medium effect size).
- Lower emotional competencies in the MS group were strongly associated with higher reported levels of insomnia, depression, fatigue, and paresthesia.
- All correlations between emotional competencies and MS symptoms were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Individuals with MS exhibit markedly reduced emotional competencies compared to both healthy individuals and those with MDD.
- A significant inverse relationship exists between emotional competencies and the severity of common MS-related symptoms.
- Enhancing emotional competencies may represent a crucial therapeutic avenue for improving the quality of life for individuals with MS.
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