Association of Perceived Social Support with Medication Adherence in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Physical disability caused by multiple sclerosis (MS) increases MS patients' need for support from others. Medication adherence is one of the main success factors in the treatment of chronic diseases, which is influenced by various factors. This study aimed to determine the relationship between perceived social support and medication adherence in patients with MS.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 110 patients (70 women and 40 men) aged 39±9 years with MS who visited the 2 medical training centers of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Kashani and Al-Zahra), Isfahan, Iran during 2021. After sampling by the systematic random method, the data were collected by interviews and using Zimmet's Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8).

The mean and standard deviation of the scores of medication adherence and perceived social support were 6.10±1.72 and 62.83±14.97, respectively. According to the Pearson correlation coefficient, perceived social support did not show any significant relationship with medication adherence (r=0.185, P=0.053). Perceived social support showed a statistically significant relationship with income satisfaction (F=4.54, P=0.01), the pattern of clinical course (F=2.95, P=0.03), difficulty in accessing medical care (t=-2.29, P=0.02), and clinical symptoms, including motor (t=-3.72, P=0.001), balance (t=-3.23, P=0.002), and urinary disorders (t=-2.53, P=0.01).

Perceived social support in patients with MS did not cause medication adherence.