Qualitative study identifies life shifts and stress coping strategies in people with multiple sclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the central nervous system. The demyelination of the nerve fibers can lead to physical, emotional, and cognitive impairments. We wanted to learn about challenges of living with the illness and how people deal with stress. 128 individuals with MS from Austria and the US participated in the qualitative interviews. We interviewed participants and coded their answers using inductive grounded theory. We asked three open-ended questions to inquire about life since being diagnosed with MS as well as about dealing with stress. Life shifts since diagnosis involved 'experiencing limitations' and could be categorized in 'emotional changes', 'changes with work', 'changes in social interaction', 'physical change

SUBMITTER: Lex H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9021186 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature