Cognitive and behavioural correlates of different domains of psychological adjustment in early stage multiple sclerosis
Cognitive and behavioural correlates of different domains of psychological adjustment in early stage multiple sclerosis
Objective: this study investigated a cognitive-behavioural model of adjustment to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It aimed to determine the contribution of cognitions and behaviours to the explanation of two distinct adjustment outcomes above and beyond measures of MS severity. Illness-related functional impairment was anticipated to be most strongly related to unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that were specific to MS and the experience of symptoms. Psychological distress was hypothesised to be most strongly related to more general unhelpful cognitions about the self and emotions.
Methods: 94 people with MS completed questionnaires. Correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions determined the relative contribution of illness severity, cognitions, and behaviours to the prediction of psychological distress and functional impairment.
Results: illness-related functional impairment was related to disease severity, progressive vs. relapsing-remitting disease and unhelpful illness perceptions and cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms. Illness severity factors accounted for a significant 23.7% of the variance in functional impairment (p<.001). Cognitive and behavioural variables explained a further 22.6% of variance (p<.001) with behavioural responses to symptoms emerging as the strongest predictor. The correlates of distress were unhelpful beliefs about the self, unhelpful beliefs about emotions, acceptance, and unhelpful cognitive responses to symptoms and illness perceptions. Illness severity factors explained only 2.2% of the variance in distress (p>.05) while cognitive and behavioural variables accounted for 37.1% (p<.001). Unhelpful beliefs about the self were the strongest predictor.
Conclusion: longitudinal and experimental research is required to investigate potential causal relationships. However, the cognitions and behaviours identified as important for adjustment are potentially modifiable, so may be useful to address within interventions for adjustment to MS.
multiple sclerosis, adjustment, distress, impairment, cognitive, behavioural
353-361
Dennison, Laura
15c399cb-9a81-4948-8906-21944c033c20
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Silber, Eli
99142a55-c5ff-4288-884d-6efb29fb9475
Galea, Ian
66209a2f-f7e6-4d63-afe4-e9299f156f0b
Chalder, Trudie
cb09653b-2c1e-4dfc-bb13-c6e8ca918602
October 2010
Dennison, Laura
15c399cb-9a81-4948-8906-21944c033c20
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Silber, Eli
99142a55-c5ff-4288-884d-6efb29fb9475
Galea, Ian
66209a2f-f7e6-4d63-afe4-e9299f156f0b
Chalder, Trudie
cb09653b-2c1e-4dfc-bb13-c6e8ca918602
Dennison, Laura, Moss-Morris, Rona, Silber, Eli, Galea, Ian and Chalder, Trudie
(2010)
Cognitive and behavioural correlates of different domains of psychological adjustment in early stage multiple sclerosis.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 69 (4), .
(doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.04.009).
(PMID:20846536)
Abstract
Objective: this study investigated a cognitive-behavioural model of adjustment to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It aimed to determine the contribution of cognitions and behaviours to the explanation of two distinct adjustment outcomes above and beyond measures of MS severity. Illness-related functional impairment was anticipated to be most strongly related to unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that were specific to MS and the experience of symptoms. Psychological distress was hypothesised to be most strongly related to more general unhelpful cognitions about the self and emotions.
Methods: 94 people with MS completed questionnaires. Correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions determined the relative contribution of illness severity, cognitions, and behaviours to the prediction of psychological distress and functional impairment.
Results: illness-related functional impairment was related to disease severity, progressive vs. relapsing-remitting disease and unhelpful illness perceptions and cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms. Illness severity factors accounted for a significant 23.7% of the variance in functional impairment (p<.001). Cognitive and behavioural variables explained a further 22.6% of variance (p<.001) with behavioural responses to symptoms emerging as the strongest predictor. The correlates of distress were unhelpful beliefs about the self, unhelpful beliefs about emotions, acceptance, and unhelpful cognitive responses to symptoms and illness perceptions. Illness severity factors explained only 2.2% of the variance in distress (p>.05) while cognitive and behavioural variables accounted for 37.1% (p<.001). Unhelpful beliefs about the self were the strongest predictor.
Conclusion: longitudinal and experimental research is required to investigate potential causal relationships. However, the cognitions and behaviours identified as important for adjustment are potentially modifiable, so may be useful to address within interventions for adjustment to MS.
Text
Dennison_et_al_cognitions_and_behaviours_MS_2010.doc
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
__soton.ac.uk_ude_personalfiles_users_ig1_mydesktop_Dennison L et al 2010.pdf
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 April 2010
Published date: October 2010
Keywords:
multiple sclerosis, adjustment, distress, impairment, cognitive, behavioural
Organisations:
Biological Sciences, Medicine
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 148413
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/148413
ISSN: 0022-3999
PURE UUID: b8e04197-74d4-4f69-aa54-f70230ebed79
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Date deposited: 28 Apr 2010 08:31
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:52
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Contributors
Author:
Rona Moss-Morris
Author:
Eli Silber
Author:
Trudie Chalder
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