Comparing coping styles, personality traits, and resiliency in multiple sclerosis patients

Background and aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common neurological disorder with complex etiology, which is highly affected bypsychological factors. These factors should to be identified to help patients with MS (PwMS). This study aimed to compare coping styles,personality traits, and resiliency in PwMS and healthy subjects.Methods: In this case-control study, we selected ۷۵ PwMS from the members of Tehran MS Society in ۲۰۱۶ as case group and ۷۵ healthysubjects as control group. To collect data, we used the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOCQ), Big Five Factor Inventory–Revised, andConner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and independent T-Test were used to analyzethe data.Results: The results indicated that PwMS use emotion-focused coping styles more often (۴۴.۵۳±۹.۱۳, P = ۰.۰۰۸) and problem-focusedcoping styles less often (۳۹.۸۴±۵.۷۹, P = ۰.۰۰۱) compared to control group. Also, they showed higher scores in neuroticism (۳۲.۱۰±۴.۸۰,P = ۰.۰۰۱) and lower scores in extraversion and conscientiousness (۲۷.۴۶±۷.۱۲, P = ۰.۰۰۵ and ۳۲.۹۸+±۵.۷۲, P = ۰.۰۰۸, respectively). Theresiliency levels in these patients were also lower than healthy subjects (۶۸.۱۳±۱۳.۹۰, P = ۰.۰۲۱).Conclusion: Our findings indicated that PwMS are more likely to use emotional coping strategies in stressful situations compared to healthyindividuals. Moreover, data confirmed that a maladaptive personality configuration, which is specified by high neuroticism, along with lowextraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness are somehow related to MS.

Keywords:

Coping strategies , Personality traits , Resiliency , Multiple sclerosis , MS , PwMS