Psychological well-being in people with multiple sclerosis and its association with illness perception and self-esteem.

Abstract Background : Illness perception and self-esteem were found to improve adjustment to disease in many chronic conditions. However, so far, little is known about the role of illness-appraisal and self-appraisal factors in psychological well-being in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, we aimed to assess the association between illness perception, self-esteem and psychological well-being in people with MS while controlling for sociodemographic variables, clinical variables, and sleep-related problems. Methods : The General Health Questionnaire-28, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Scale of Self-esteem, the Expanded Disability Status Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory were used. Multiple linear regressions and mediation analyses were utilized to analyse the data. Results : Positive illness perception (p 0.05), poor sleep quality (p 0.05), and low level of psychological well-being. Self-esteem also mediated the association between illness perception and psychological well-being. Discussion : People with MS may benefit from psychological support aimed at promoting self-esteem and diminishing negative illness perception.