Coping strategies used by patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis from Argentina: correlation with quality of life and clinical features

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative and inflammatory disease. The adaptation to MS depends on the effectiveness of coping, which moderates the process of adaptation and psychological well-being. Objectives We aimed to analyze the coping strategies of an Argentinean population of patients with MS (PwMS) and their association with clinical variables and health-related quality of life (QoL). Methods A nationwide cross-sectional study. Screening instruments: Demographics and clinical data, coping strategies (Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, [COPE-28]), health-related QoL (MS Impact Scale, [MSIS-29]), Fatigue Severity Scale, and physical disability (self-administrated Expanded Disability Status Scale, [EDSS]). Results We included 249 PwMS. Most responders were female (74.7%) with a mean age at survey of 38.6 (+/- 10.7) and had a MS duration of 7.3 years (range: 1-43 years) and a mean EDSS of 1.9 (+/- 1.8). Younger age (r = -0.17), active MS (r = 0.25), higher fatigue (r = 0.22), MSIS-29 total (r = 0.34), MSIS-physical (r = 0.26), MSIS-psychological scores (r = 0.44), higher scores for perception of both severity of MS (r = 0.12) and wheelchair-dependency (r = 0.14) correlated significantly with the use of maladaptive coping strategies. However, active MS (beta 2.10, p = 0.01), MSIS-psychological score (beta 0.28, p < 0.0001), high education level (beta - 1.15, p = 0.04), and EDSS (beta - 0.84, p = 0.0001) were independent predictors of the utilization of maladaptive coping strategies after having applied multivariate analysis via linear regression. Conclusions Maladaptive coping strategies used by PwMS are associated with relevant clinical aspects of the disease and with worse health-related QoL scores.