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Perception of fatigue and couple communication in people with multiple sclerosis and their spouses: relationship to coping efficacy

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the extent to which congruence in the perception of fatigue impact between people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their spouses is related to the coping efficacy of the individuals with MS. Although fatigue is a well known symptom in MS, the nature of its impact on the individual with the disease as well as on their spouse is poorly understood. Working from Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) model of stress and coping, I questioned whether individuals with MS appraise the impact of their fatigue differently than do their spouses, and whether the degree of incongruence is related to the coping efficacy of the person with MS. Criteria for inclusion included married couples in which one person: (a) had been diagnosed with MS for at least one year, and (b) identified fatigue as a symptom. The ENRICH Couple Communication Scale (Olson, 1985) and The Fatigue Impact Scale (Fisk, Pontefract, Ritvo, Archibald, & Murray, 1994) were administered to 60 couples in which one person had MS. Individuals with MS then rated their perception of coping efficacy using a modified version of the Coping Strategy Indicator (Amirkhan, 1990). Efficacy of avoidance, problem solving, and seeking social support coping strategies was examined using the 3 subscales of this instrument. In addition, The ENRICH Couple Communication Scale (Olson, 1985) assessed congruence about communication within married couples. The extent to which congruence concerning fatigue impact and communication was related to coping efficacy of the individuals who have MS was examined using three simultaneous multiple regression analyses. Although congruence concerning communication was a significant predictor of avoidance coping efficacy, congruence of fatigue impact did not appear to be a significant predictor of coping efficacy on any of the subscales. Implications for theory and research were discussed, among them being an increased understanding of (a) coping efficacy, (b) the operationalization of congruence, and (c) the perception of an invisible symptom such as fatigue in people who are ill , as well as their spouses' perceptions of the fatigue.

Thesis/Dissertation

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2009-02-06

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4254

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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