Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis is one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, with major consequences for their future lives. Patients with early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience uncertainty and intense emotions as the diagnosis is disclosed....
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1565150/full |
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| author | Rocío Gómez-Ballesteros Susana Sainz de la Maza Mónica Borges Jesús Martín-Martínez Javier Sotoca Ana Alonso Ana B. Caminero Laura Borrega José L. Sánchez-Menoyo Francisco J. Barrero-Hernández Carmen Calles Luis Brieva María R. Blasco-Quílez Julio Dotor García-Soto Ana Rodríguez-Regal Laura Navarro-Cantó Eduardo Agüera Moisés Garcés-Redondo Olga Carmona Laura Gabaldón-Torres Lucía Forero Mariona Hervás Tamara Castillo-Triviño Jorge Maurino |
| author_facet | Rocío Gómez-Ballesteros Susana Sainz de la Maza Mónica Borges Jesús Martín-Martínez Javier Sotoca Ana Alonso Ana B. Caminero Laura Borrega José L. Sánchez-Menoyo Francisco J. Barrero-Hernández Carmen Calles Luis Brieva María R. Blasco-Quílez Julio Dotor García-Soto Ana Rodríguez-Regal Laura Navarro-Cantó Eduardo Agüera Moisés Garcés-Redondo Olga Carmona Laura Gabaldón-Torres Lucía Forero Mariona Hervás Tamara Castillo-Triviño Jorge Maurino |
| author_sort | Rocío Gómez-Ballesteros |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundMultiple sclerosis is one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, with major consequences for their future lives. Patients with early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience uncertainty and intense emotions as the diagnosis is disclosed. Illness perception at this point can influence levels of adjustment, coping strategies, treatment adherence, and well-being of the patient. However, there is limited information on patient illness perception surrounding the diagnosis.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess illness perception and associated factors in early-stage RRMS patients.MethodsA multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted. Adult patients with a diagnosis of RRMS, a disease duration of ≤ 3 years, and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 0-5.5 were included. The Brief-Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) was used to assess the patients’ cognitive and emotional representations of their illness. Different patient-reported measures were used to gather information on pain, fatigue, mood/anxiety, quality of life, symptom severity, feelings of hopelessness, perception of stigma, cognition, hand dexterity, gait, and workplace difficulties. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between the patients’ illness perception and demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as patient-reported outcomes.ResultsA total of 189 patients were included (mean age: 36.1 ± 9.4 years, 71.4% females, mean disease duration: 1.4 ± 0.8 years). The median EDSS score was 1.0 (interquartile range: 0.0-2.0). A total of 36.5% of the patients (n=69/189) had a moderate-to-high threatening illness perception, and 45.5% thought that their disease was caused by psychological factors. Higher EDSS scores, symptom severity, poorer psychological quality of life, perception of stigma, and greater hopelessness were predictors of moderate-to-high threatening illness perception.ConclusionsThreatening illness perceptions are common among patients with early-stage RRMS. Identifying these beliefs and their associated factors, and establishing individualized interventions, may help patients deal with their condition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-494bfa7343b44917976daf8a0771dbe5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-494bfa7343b44917976daf8a0771dbe52025-08-20T02:43:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-07-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15651501565150Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisRocío Gómez-Ballesteros0Susana Sainz de la Maza1Mónica Borges2Jesús Martín-Martínez3Javier Sotoca4Ana Alonso5Ana B. Caminero6Laura Borrega7José L. Sánchez-Menoyo8Francisco J. Barrero-Hernández9Carmen Calles10Luis Brieva11María R. Blasco-Quílez12Julio Dotor García-Soto13Ana Rodríguez-Regal14Laura Navarro-Cantó15Eduardo Agüera16Moisés Garcés-Redondo17Olga Carmona18Laura Gabaldón-Torres19Lucía Forero20Mariona Hervás21Tamara Castillo-Triviño22Jorge Maurino23Medical Department, Roche Farma, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa, Terrassa, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Complejo Asistencial de Ávila, Ávila, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Alcorcón, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital de Galdakao-Usansolo, Galdakao, Spain0Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio, Granada, Spain1Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain2Department of Neurology, Hospital Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida, UdL Medicine Department, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Lleida (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain3Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain4Department of Neurology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain5Department of Neurology, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Elche, Spain6Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain7Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain8Department of Neurology, Fundació Salut Empordà, Figueres, Spain9Department of Neurology, Hospital Francesc de Borja, Gandía, Spain0Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain1Department of Neurology, Consorci Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain2Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, SpainMedical Department, Roche Farma, Madrid, SpainBackgroundMultiple sclerosis is one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, with major consequences for their future lives. Patients with early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience uncertainty and intense emotions as the diagnosis is disclosed. Illness perception at this point can influence levels of adjustment, coping strategies, treatment adherence, and well-being of the patient. However, there is limited information on patient illness perception surrounding the diagnosis.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess illness perception and associated factors in early-stage RRMS patients.MethodsA multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted. Adult patients with a diagnosis of RRMS, a disease duration of ≤ 3 years, and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 0-5.5 were included. The Brief-Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) was used to assess the patients’ cognitive and emotional representations of their illness. Different patient-reported measures were used to gather information on pain, fatigue, mood/anxiety, quality of life, symptom severity, feelings of hopelessness, perception of stigma, cognition, hand dexterity, gait, and workplace difficulties. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between the patients’ illness perception and demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as patient-reported outcomes.ResultsA total of 189 patients were included (mean age: 36.1 ± 9.4 years, 71.4% females, mean disease duration: 1.4 ± 0.8 years). The median EDSS score was 1.0 (interquartile range: 0.0-2.0). A total of 36.5% of the patients (n=69/189) had a moderate-to-high threatening illness perception, and 45.5% thought that their disease was caused by psychological factors. Higher EDSS scores, symptom severity, poorer psychological quality of life, perception of stigma, and greater hopelessness were predictors of moderate-to-high threatening illness perception.ConclusionsThreatening illness perceptions are common among patients with early-stage RRMS. Identifying these beliefs and their associated factors, and establishing individualized interventions, may help patients deal with their condition.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1565150/fullrelapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisillness perceptionearly-stagepatient-reported outcome measuresindividualized interventionspsychological factors |
| spellingShingle | Rocío Gómez-Ballesteros Susana Sainz de la Maza Mónica Borges Jesús Martín-Martínez Javier Sotoca Ana Alonso Ana B. Caminero Laura Borrega José L. Sánchez-Menoyo Francisco J. Barrero-Hernández Carmen Calles Luis Brieva María R. Blasco-Quílez Julio Dotor García-Soto Ana Rodríguez-Regal Laura Navarro-Cantó Eduardo Agüera Moisés Garcés-Redondo Olga Carmona Laura Gabaldón-Torres Lucía Forero Mariona Hervás Tamara Castillo-Triviño Jorge Maurino Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis Frontiers in Psychiatry relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis illness perception early-stage patient-reported outcome measures individualized interventions psychological factors |
| title | Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis |
| title_full | Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis |
| title_short | Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis |
| title_sort | threatening illness perception and associated factors in early stage relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis |
| topic | relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis illness perception early-stage patient-reported outcome measures individualized interventions psychological factors |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1565150/full |
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