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Rehabilitation medicine
Research
Health-related quality of life in partners of persons with MS: a longitudinal 10-year perspective
  1. Kristina Gottberg1,2,
  2. C Chruzander2,3,
  3. U Einarsson4,
  4. S Fredrikson2,
  5. S Johansson3,4,
  6. L Widén Holmqvist2,3
  1. 1Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
  2. 2Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  3. 3Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
  4. 4Department of Physiotherapy, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
  1. Correspondence to Dr Kristina Gottberg; kristina.gottberg{at}ki.se

Abstract

Objectives Multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in partners, but knowledge on the longitudinal perspective is needed. The aim was to analyse HRQL in partners of persons with MS living in Sweden a decade ago and after 10 years.

Materials and methods Partners were identified through a population-based study of persons with MS in Stockholm. Information on HRQL (the Sickness Impact profile), personal factors and disease-specific factors, and measures of functioning of persons with MS was collected at both time points mainly by home visits.

Results Some 64 of 102 identified partners (63%) agreed to participate at baseline, and at 10 years 40 of 54 eligible partners were included (74%). HRQL in partners was worse than in a Swedish, aged-grouped reference population at both baseline and follow-up. Depressive symptoms in persons with MS were independently associated with worse HRQL in partners.

Conclusions Depressive symptoms in persons with MS were associated with worse HRQL in their partners, and HRQL of partners was continuously impacted in the longitudinal perspective. This knowledge needs to be accounted for in the planning of MS care, together with the development of evidence-based support for depressive symptoms, and engagement in recreational life in both partners and persons with MS.

  • Health services research
  • REHABILITATION MEDICINE

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006097

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