Comparison of Psychological Symptoms and Personality Characteristics between Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Normal Matched People

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

3 Department of Neurology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.

4 University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

5 Assistant Professor of Neurology.

Abstract

Background and Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disease in humans and is the most disabling disease in young adults. The aim of this study was to compare psychological symptoms and personality characteristics between patients with MS and healthy counterparts.
Subjects and Methods: In this case-control study, 80 patients with MS and 80 healthy control subjects without MS were matched for gender, age, marital status and educational level with patients with MS. Tools used included demographic information questionnaire, NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Data using SPSS software and multivariate analysis of covariance (MACNOVA) were analyzed.
Results: The mean scores obtained from the assessment of psychological problems that apart from the paranoid ideation subscale, all subscales of the SCL-90-R and general indicators such as somatization, obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, psychosis, GSI,PSDI and PST in MS were higher than their healthy counterparts (P<0.0001). In addition, the mean scores for neuroticism and conscientiousness personality characteristics in patients with MS were higher.  However, mean scores on extroversion and openness features were higher in healthy subjects than their MS counterparts. (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, symptoms such as somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, and GSI and PSDI indices in patients with MS are higher than the normal counterparts. In addition, patients with MS show more neuroticism and conscientiousness, while the features of extraversion and openness are lower than healthy perosns.
 

Keywords

References

 
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Jundishapur Scientific Medical Journal
Volume 13, Issue 3 - Serial Number 90
September and October 2014
Pages 301-314

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History

  • Receive Date: 20 November 2013
  • Revise Date: 15 January 2014
  • Accept Date: 02 February 2014

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