A Pilot Study of Fear of Disease Consequences and Its Relationship with Quality of Life, Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

This study aims to determine the relationship between fear of disease consequences and its relationship with quality of life, symptoms of
depression, and anxiety in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This cross‑sectional study was conducted at Tabriz
University of Medical Sciences. Seventy patients suffering from MS were selected using the convinced sampling method. Data collection
tools were included: Fear of Progression Questionnaire‑Short Form, World Health Organizations Quality of Life‑Brief, Beck Depression
Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Descriptive statistical methods, independent sample t‑test, one‑way ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation
coefficient test, and linear regression model were used to analyze data by SPSS.22 software. In this study, 38 (54.3%) of patients
were male. Mean score of fear of the disease, quality of life, depression, and anxiety was 28.68 ± 9.18, 86.47 ± 14.11, 15.22 ± 4.86, and
15.85 ± 5.55, respectively. Results of Spearman’s test indicated a significant relationship between fear of disease consequences on the one
hand and quality of life (rs = −0.53), symptoms of depression (rs = −0.52), and anxiety (rs = −0.48) on the other hand (P < 0.001). Results of
linear regression analysis demonstrated that there is a strength correlation between depression – as the predictive variable – and quality of
life (P = 0.018, standard error [SE] = 0.793, β = −0.283 R2 = 0.57), and anxiety – as the predictive variable – and quality of life (P = 0.005,
SE = 0.681, β = 0.332 R2 = 0.64). Considering negative effects of fear of the disease consequences on quality of life, symptoms
of depression and anxiety, the patients should be informed about their own conditions, and appropriate mental and health cares should be
provided, and effective interventions should be done to alleviate the fear of the patients.