Association between the Social Support and Quality of Life of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Isfahan, Iran

One of the diseases in the present century، which unfortunately affects the youths particularly the young girls and women، is the multiple sclerosis (MS). The cause of this disease is still unclear in the view of medical specialists in the whole world. Given numerous number of MS patients and importance of identifying effective acts to promote their quality of life (QoL)، this study accomplished to review the association between social support and the QoL of MS patients. This descriptive study selected 230 MS patients with simple random sampling method (164 females and 66 males). MS in Isfahan، Iran was measured with a questionnaire. The variables included socioeconomic، socio-cultural، services، patient relative recovery، life satisfaction، enhanced social status، sense of security، confidence، devotion and depression supports in a Likert scale measure. After determining the reliability and validity of the primary study، the final data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results of this study showed that there were 71. 3% females، 35. 7% married، and 30. 9% employed subjects. Results showed that there was a statistical significant association between the social support and life satisfaction، enhanced social status، and life expectancy، motivation for accepting the disease and symptoms، increased confidence in MS patients)r = 0. 28; P < 0. 0001). The results suggested that the importance of social support can lead to a sense of satisfaction with life and hope in MS patients. However، the social supports financially، educationally، in terms of training and serviced may have an impression on MS patients’ welfare، but due to lack of a definite treatment for this disease، all the social support cannot have a statistical significant association with the relative improvement of the said sufferers.