This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Pozzilli, C Articles by Battaglia, M A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pozzilli, C Articles by Battaglia, M A Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Relationship between emotional distress in caregivers and health status in persons with multiple sclerosis

Department of Neurological Sciences, ‘La Sapienza’ University, Rome, Italy, carlo.pozzilli{at}uniroma1.it

L Palmisano

Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, Rome, Italy

C Mainero

Department of Neurological Sciences, ‘La Sapienza’ University, Rome, Italy

V Tomassini

Department of Neurological Sciences, ‘La Sapienza’ University, Rome, Italy

F Marinelli

Department of Neurological Sciences, ‘La Sapienza’ University, Rome, Italy

G Ristori

Department of Neurological Sciences, ‘La Sapienza’ University, Rome, Italy

C Gasperini

Department of Neurology, Ospedale San Camillo-Forlanini, Rome, Italy

M Fabiani

Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

M A Battaglia

Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, Rome, Italy

Caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit less satisfaction with quality of life with respect to the general population. To assess the relationship between depression in caregivers and health status profiles of MS patients, we examined data from 133 patients and their respective caregivers, as a part of a prospective randomized trial aimed to investigate the effectiveness of home-based care. Patients were evaluated at baseline and one year later with measures of physical and psychological impairment and health status (SF-36 Health Survey). Caregivers’ psychological morbidity was assessed by the Profile of Mood State (POMS) at the same time points. An improvement of patients’ health status as measured in four out of eight SF-36 dimensions was observed over the study period, while psychological morbidity of their caregivers did not change significantly. Depression in caregivers was related to physical, emotional and health status of the patients at baseline and/or at 12-month follow-up. Changes in the degree of depression of caregivers were also associated with changes in disability and health status of the patients. This study confirms and extends in a home-care setting previous findings on relationships between patients’ status and depression in caregivers. It suggests that the caregiver is an appropriate and independent target for more focused therapeutic strategies.

Key Words: caregiver • depression • health status • home-care • multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 10, No. 4, 442-446 (2004)
DOI: 10.1191/1352458504ms1046oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Rivera-Navarro, J. Benito-Leon, C. Oreja-Guevara, J. Pardo, W. Bowakim Dib, E. Orts, M. Bello, and Caregiver Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis (C Burden and health-related quality of life of Spanish caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, November 1, 2009; 15(11): 1347 - 1355. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. Patti, M.P. Amato, M.A. Battaglia, M. Pitaro, P. Russo, C. Solaro, and M. Trojano Caregiver quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a multicentre Italian study Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 2007; 13(3): 412 - 419. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T E Sherman, L J Rapport, R A Hanks, K A Ryan, P A Keenan, O Khan, and R P Lisak Predictors of well-being among significant others of persons with multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, March 1, 2007; 13(2): 238 - 249. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. J. Holland and D. E. Northrop Young Adults With Multiple Sclerosis: Management in the Home Home Health Care Management Practice, April 1, 2006; 18(3): 186 - 195. [Abstract] [PDF]