title: Personality traits predict perceived health-related quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Personality traits can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in different disorders. In multiple sclerosis (MS), personality traits can determine patients' willingness to take on more risky treatment options, predispose to neuropsychiatric symptoms and affect coping strategies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the role of personality traits as possible predictors of HRQoL in a large cohort of persons with MS (PwMS).
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 253 consecutively recruited PwMS were screened for intellectual deficits with Raven Colour Progressive Matrices (RCPM), state anxiety with STAI-X1 and major depression on a clinical basis. PwMS' self-perceived mental and physical health status was measured with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the personality profile with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R). The correlation between HRQoL and personality traits was investigated by means of analysis of variance, adjusting for possible confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 253 MS patients, 195 (F:M=2.75), aged 41.7±10.2 years were included in the analysis. The variance of SF-36 mental and physical composite score was largely explained by extraversion and neuroticism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm that PwMS' HRQoL is largely influenced by personality traits, which may therefore act as predictors of perceived quality of life and should be included in clinical and experimental settings focusing on HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Italy/Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio Roberto
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Zarbo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Minacapelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falautano
authors.affiliation: Unit of Psychology, Sassari University Hospital (AOUSS), Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demontis
authors.affiliation: Unit of Psychology, Sassari University Hospital (AOUSS), Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carpentras
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy maura.pugliatti@unife.it.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pugliatti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010465:Perception; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Eysenck; Multiple sclerosis; extraversion; personality; quality of life