title: Factors affecting dignity of patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MS is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. Apart from disease progression, other complications such as unemployment, separation and divorce could potentially threat patients' dignity. Most of the previous studies have been done of maintaining patients' dignity in interaction with healthcare team, but studies on affecting factors of dignity in chronic patients in the society and in interaction with usual people are scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate factors affecting dignity of Iranian patients with MS in daily living and in interaction of them with the society.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this qualitative study, 13 patients with multiple sclerosis were chosen by purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation. The study was done in Tehran, the capital city of Iran.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factors affecting dignity were classified as 'personal factors' and 'social factors'. Personal factors consist of the following subcategories: patients' communication with self, patients' knowledge, patients' values and beliefs and patients' resources. Social factors include others' communication with patients, social knowledge, social values and beliefs and social resources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple personal and social factors interfere in perceived patient dignity. In fact, interaction between personal and social factors can be influential in final perceived dignity. By focusing on whole aspects of the patients' lives, we can identify dignity-promoting or dignity-threatening factors and help patients maintain their dignity by taking appropriate measures for moderating threatening factors and improving dignity enhancing ones.
authors.affiliation: International Branch, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.affiliation: Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borhani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbaszadeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: content analysis; dignity; multiple sclerosis; society