The Relation between Fatigue Severity with Psychological Symptoms and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease. Since fatigue can cause a great deal of problems it create can cause a variety of psychological symptoms particularly depression, anxiety and stress as well, that quality of daily lives, endanger. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the relation between fatigue severity and psychological symptoms and quality of life in patients with MS. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, 76 patients with MS with a mean age of 34.02±9.42 (16-58 year), a member of Guilan province MS association, were selected consecutively. At first, all patients completed the questionnaire of demographic information, and then they were evaluated by the Fatigue Severity Scale (Fatigue Severity Scale), depression, anxiety, Stress Scale (depression, anxiety, stress scale-21) and Quality of Life questionnaire (Short Form-36). Results: Correlational analyses indicated a significant association between fatigue severity and patientʹs age, depression, anxiety and stress (p < 0.05) and quality of life (p < 0.01), While there were no significant relations between fatigue severity and duration of MS. The results of multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that only the factor of quality of life as a selected variable in final model could explain 27% of the shared variance of fatigue severity results (p=0.002). Conclusion: The findings showed that regardless of other variables, the levels of quality of life are predictor of fatigue severity in patients with MS. Therefore it is suggested in these patients psychotherapy based on improvement of quality of life for decrease of the levels of fatigue be set as the central aim of psychological interventions.