Illness Perceptions And Psychological Adjustment Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: The Mediating Role Of Coping Strategies And Social Support

Purpose: The aim of this study was to test the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), hypothesizing direct relations between illness beliefs and psychological adjustment, and indirect relations through coping strategies and social support. Materials and methods: Questionnaires were administered cross-sectionally to 680 participants (M-age =40.1; 64.4% women) recruited in eight MS units to assess illness beliefs, coping strategies, social support, and adjustment indicators including life satisfaction, psychological well-being, mental health, and depression. Multiple mediational analyses were conducted to identify direct and indirect paths connecting illness beliefs to psychological outcomes. Results: Controlling for disability level, significant direct and indirect relationships were observed: Beliefs on illness coherence, personal and treatment control were associated with better adjustment; emotion representations and cyclic timeline with worse adjustment; illness identity, consequences, psychological and chance/bad luck causes with mixed positive and negative outcomes. Notably, findings identified recurrent and unique pathways connecting illness beliefs to the different indicators through meaning- and problem-focused coping strategies, avoidance and social support. Conclusions: The Common Sense Model can represent a useful framework to be tested in rehabilitation programs, jointly addressing illness beliefs and coping resources for the promotion of psychological adjustment among persons with MS.