Group psychotherapy: benefits in multiple sclerosis.

This study investigates the relationship between group psychotherapy and the psychologic adjustment of patients with a primary diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). It was speculated that such a program would decrease both patient depression and anxiety, at the same time increasing self-concept and self-direction. Forty-one hospitalized MS patients were screened for mental status, then administered a test battery consisting of the Depression 30, IPAT Anxiety Scale, Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Following this, patients were matched into triads on the basis of pretest scores. Each member of the triad was then randomly assigned to one of three groups: insight-oriented, current events, control (nontreatment). At the end of 50 group sessions, all patients were reassessed using the same test battery. Results were analyzed by means of analysis of covariance and the nonparametric Friedman test. Post-hoc procedures were performed with the following results: 1) the insight-oriented therapy group was significantly less depressed than both the current events group and the control group and 2) both the therapy and the current events groups were significantly more internally oriented than the control. Not only does group therapy per se seem to benefit the MS patient, but any supervised group involvement appears to improve significantly patient emotional state.

Depression in multiple sclerosis as a function of length and severity of illness, age, remissions, and perceived social support.

Degree of depression found in 120 spinal multiple sclerosis (MS) outpatients was related significantly to selected illness, demographic, and social variables. The more depressed individuals tended to be more disabled, older, and, in particular, perceived their families and friends as providing less social support than those who were less depressed. Those who had experienced at least one remission were less depressed than those who never had had a remission. Contrary to hypothesized expectations, the results also suggested that the longer a patient has MS, the more depressed he will be. Such results raise implications for psychotherapeutic intervention in this population, as well as suggest the need for future investigations of the MS patient's body image, self-concept, and perception of disability.