Impact of Depression, Fatigue, and Pain on Quality of Life in Slovak Multiple Sclerosis Patients

BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that causes demyelination and degeneration of nerve fibers. This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with quality of life, including disability status, pain, fatigue, and depression, in 176 multiple sclerosis patients in Slovakia. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 176 adult MS patients (151 women, 25 men, average age 46.49 years; min-max: 21-72 years). The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to determine the level of disability (mean: 4.63±1.81; min-max: 1-8). The study used standardized evaluation questionnaires: the Short Form 36 Health Subject Questionnaire for quality-of-life assessment, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale for fatigue, the Pain Effect Scale for pain, and Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale for depression. RESULTS Multiple regression analysis indicated that the most relevant independent predictive factors of poorer quality of life among patients with MS in our study were depression (P≤0.0001), fatigue (P≤0.0001), pain (P≤0.0001), and lack of social support (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS The present study concludes that the quality of life of MS patients is primarily affected by clinical symptoms of the disease, such as depression, fatigue, and pain. The results suggest that social support plays an important role in the lives of patients with chronic diseases and significantly influences their subjective perception of quality of life.