Multiple sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis has both high healthcare and social impacts. Objective: The purpose of this article is to analyse the available literature describing the economic burden of multiple sclerosis and to compare costs among studies examining main cost drivers.

BACKGROUND: Coping with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging. MS is one of the most common causes of nontraumatic disability in young adults, and patients may need assistance with daily life activities. This article explores the relation between quality of life (QOL) and the perceived available social support among patients with MS and their families. METHODS: The study included 120 subjects (60 patient-caregiver dyads). The average age of the patients was 53.95 ± 10.19 years, and for caregivers, it was 50.8 ± 13.3 years.

Background: MS is a common, neurological disease and it's unpredictable, progressive disabling nature can have a devastating effect on patients, their families' and carers.

Informal caregivers play a crucial role in supporting persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease resulting in progressive worsening of physical and cognitive functioning. While research extensively showed that caregiving workload can be perceived as burdensome, little attention was devoted to the relation connecting workload and caregivers' well‐being. Building on previous literature on stress and coping, the aim of this study was to test the mediational role of coping between caregivers' tasks and well‐being.

Purpose: To identify the most pressing needs for community resources to support physical activity participation, determinants of perceived need, and barriers to co-participation in physical activity among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have moderate-to-severe disability and the family caregivers providing assistance to such individuals. Methods: Seventy-eight people with MS and 46 family caregivers participated in this cross-sectional survey study, guided by the Concerns Report Methodology.

Background and Purpose: This study aimed was to measure the quality of life, fatigue, stress, and depression in a consecutive sample of caregivers of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.; Methods: We included data from 131 consecutive caregivers of MS patients [age=51.2±12.8 years (mean±SD), males=53.4%, duration of caregiving=10.0±6.3 years].

Purpose: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and their family caregivers often react to the impact of the disease as an interdependent dyad. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine interdependence in the physical activity (PA) patterns of dyads affected by moderate to severe MS disability. Method: A total of 15 pairs of PwMS and their family caregivers wore accelerometers for 7 days. By collecting data simultaneously from both partners, we tested interdependence using the dyad as the unit of analysis.

Around 50% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience neurogenic bowel dysfunction (constipation and/or faecal incontinence), reducing quality of life and increasing carer burden. No previous qualitative studies have explored the experiences of bowel problems in people with MS, or the views of their family carers. This study sought to understand ‘what it is like’ to live with bowel dysfunction and the impact this has on people with MS and carers.

There is a growing interest in incorporating informal care in cost-of-illness studies as a relevant part of the economic impact of some diseases. The aim of this paper was to review the recent literature valuating the costs of informal care in a group of selected diseases from 2005 to 2015. We carried out a systematic review on the economic impact of informal care, focusing on six selected diseases: arthritis or osteoarthritis, cancer, dementia, mental diseases, multiple sclerosis and stroke. We selected 91 cost-of-illness articles.

Purpose: To provide a unique and conceptually comprehensive account of the lived experiences of caregiving spouses/partners of people with multiple sclerosis, which can be used to better enable health professionals to provide appropriate support services. Method: A systematic review of qualitative studies reporting the experiences of caregiving spouses/partners was conducted. Relevant articles were identified and analysed using a meta‐ethnographic synthesis.