Utilized Resources of Hope, Orientation, and Inspiration in Life of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Association with Life Satisfaction, Adaptive Coping Strategies, and Spirituality.

In a cross-sectional survey among 213 patients with multiple sclerosis, we intended to analyze their resources of hope, orientation, and inspiration in life, and how these resources are related to health-associated variables, adaptive coping strategies, and life satisfaction. Resources were categorized as Faith (10 %), Family (22 %), Other sources (16 %), and No answer (53 %). These non-respondents were predominantly neither religious nor spiritual (70 % R-S-). Although R-S- persons are a heterogeneous group with varying existential interest, they did not significantly differ from their spiritual/religious counterparts with respect to physical and mental health or life satisfaction, but for an adaptive Reappraisal strategy and Gratitude/Awe.

Experience of gratitude, awe and beauty in life among patients with multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disorders.

BACKGROUND: Feelings of gratitude and awe facilitate perceptions and cognitions that go beyond the focus of illness and include positive aspects of one's personal and interpersonal reality, even in the face of disease. We intended to measure feelings of gratitude, awe, and experiences of beauty in life among patients with multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disorders, particularly with respect to their engagement in specific spiritual/religious practices and their life satisfaction. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with standardized questionnaires to measure engagement in various spiritual practices (SpREUK-P) and their relation to experiences of Gratitude, Awe and Beauty in Life and life satisfaction (BMLSS-10). In total, 461 individuals (41 ± 13 years; 68% women) with multiple sclerosis (46%) and depressive (22%) or other psychiatric disorders (32%) participated. RESULTS: Among participants, 23% never, 43% rarely, 24% often, and 10% frequently experienced Gratitude. In contrast, 41% never, 37% rarely, 17% often, and 6% frequently experienced Awe. Beauty in Life was never experienced by 8% of the sample, and 28% rarely, 46% often, and 18% frequently experienced it. Gratitude (F = 9.2; p = .003) and Beauty in Life (F = 6.0; p = .015) were experienced significantly more often by women than men. However, the experience of Awe did not differ between women and men (F = 2.2; n.s.). In contrast to our hypothesis, Gratitude/Awe cannot explain any relevant variance in patients' life satisfaction (R2 = .04). Regression analyses (R2 = .42) revealed that Gratitude/Awe can be predicted best by a person's engagement in religious practices, followed by other forms of spiritual practices and life satisfaction. Female gender was a weak predictor and underlying disease showed no effect. CONCLUSIONS: Gratitude/Awe could be regarded as a life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in life--despite the symptoms of disease. Positive spirituality/religiosity seems to be a source of gratitude and appreciation in life, whereas patients with neither spiritual nor religious sentiments (R-S-) seem to have a lower awareness for these feelings.

Faith as a resource in patients with multiple sclerosis is associated with a positive interpretation of illness and experience of gratitude/awe.

The aim of this cross-sectional anonymous survey with standardized questionnaires was to investigate which resources to cope were used by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We focussed on patients' conviction that their faith might be a strong hold in difficult times and on their engagement in different forms of spirituality. Consecutively 213 German patients (75% women; mean age 43 ± 11 years) were enrolled. Fifty-five percent regarded themselves as neither religious nor spiritual (R-S-), while 31% describe themselves as religious. For 29%, faith was a strong hold in difficult times. This resource was neither related to patients' EDSS scores, and life affections, fatigue, negative mood states, life satisfaction nor to Positive attitudes. Instead it was moderately associated with a Reappraisal strategy (i.e., and positive interpretation of illness) and experience of gratitude/awe. Compared to spiritual/religious patients, R-S- individuals had significantly (P < .0001) lower Reappraisal scores and lower engagement in specific forms of spiritual practices. The ability to reflect on what is essential in life, to appreciate and value life, and also the conviction that illness may have meaning and could be regarded as a chance for development was low in R-S- individuals which either may have no specific interest or are less willing to reflect these issues.