Ashrafalsadat Giti Ghoreishi, Sara Fakharian Moghaddam,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2024)
Abstract
Aim and Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) can significantly affect the quality of life and daily life activities of caregivers, and how to cope with stressful situations and challenges for caregivers is determined by the personality of the caregiver. Based on this, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of low positive emotions, anxiety-related experiences and helplessness/hopelessness based on MMPI-3 in the experience of suffering and caregiver burden of caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Methods and Materials: The current research method was fundamental, cross-sectional, and descriptive of the correlation type. The statistical population included all the caregivers of MS patients in Mashhad city, who had visited specialized neurology clinics and Mashhad MS patients' support association between October and December 2024, and 336 of them were selected by convenience sampling method. The research tools included the Minnesota multidimensional personality questionnaire - third edition, caregiver burden scale, and suffering assessment questionnaire. For data analysis, multiple regression analysis were used in SPSS version 26 statistical software.
Findings: The results of the present study showed that the highest correlation was observed between anxiety-related experiences and the Experience of Suffering and the lowest correlation was observed between anxiety-related experiences and the helplessness/hopelessness. Also, helplessness/hopelessness and anxiety-related experiences explain 23% of the variance of suffering experience. In addition, it was found that experiences related to anxiety, low positive emotions, and helplessness/hopelessness explained 41% of the variance of caregiver burden.
Conclusions: Based on this and considering the relationship of personality dimensions with the experience of suffering and caregiver burden, it is suggested that in order to reduce and moderate the pain and suffering of caregivers, educational and therapeutic programs to promote and improve positive personality abilities and adjust negative personality dimensions, including centers Counseling and treatment, hospitals and universities should be designed.
