[Approach to quality of life changes in patients with multiple sclerosis].
OBJECTIVE
Multiple sclerosis (MS), as a chronic, incurable and often severely disabling disease, greatly affects patients normal life. The objectives of the study are to analyze which aspects of daily life are more affected by the disability and to investigate whether the degree of support demanded by patients is related to their level of incapacity.


METHODS
Group of 60 ambulatory patients with Poser defined MS, mean age of 44.5 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of 3.1, and average period of disease evolution 13.2 years. Test instrument was a structured 12 items questionnaire given during a visit to the attending physician and regarding social and family aspects, financial needs, professional life and emotional well being.


RESULTS
58.3% of the professionally active patients had to give up their jobs; 8.3% experienced changes in their marital status and general family life somewhat changed in 41.7% of the cases due to either physical or psychical disease consequences. Social relationships were altered in 68.2% of the cases; 43.3% required some level of economical support, and 80% went through episodes of emotional distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Statistically significant relationships exist between level of incapacity and professional and social life changes but not with family life changes, emotional alterations and level of support required.
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España.
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de Andrés
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Guillem
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires