The following is a summary of “Bidirectional effect of stress and functionality in multiple sclerosis and the interaction role of anxiety, coping and social support,” published in the July 2023 issue of the Psychosomatic Research by Briones-Buixassa et al.

The present study examines the bidirectional hypothesis between stress and multiple sclerosis using multiple measures of stress, impairment, and functionality and the interaction role of stress-related psychosocial factors like anxiety, coping, and social support. A one-year follow-up was performed on 26 multiple sclerosis patients. 

Participants reported anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) at baseline; daily Ecological Momentary Assessment through self-reported diaries of stressful events and coping strategies; monthly perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale); trimonthly self-reported functionality (Functionality Assessment in Multiple Sclerosis); and at baseline. There were mixed-effect regression models conducted. The negative relationship between perceived stress and self-reported functionality in both directions supported the bidirectional hypothesis. 

Active coping increased functionality only with high-stress levels, and high trait anxiety was associated with reduced functionality. In contrast, low-trait anxiety was associated with higher functionality but only with low-stress levels. People with multiple sclerosis may benefit from a variety of psychological therapies, ranging from gold-standard therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to third-wave therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy or mindfulness, that focus on managing stress and affective symptoms, adjusting to the disease and enhancing their overall quality of life. Using the biopsychosocial model, more research is required in this field.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399923002325