Postpartum emotional distress in mothers with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related symptoms and both received social support and perceived deficits in social support on emotional distress in mothers with MS at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum.

DESIGN

Longitudinal correlation descriptive study.

SETTING

Community-residing women in North America.

PARTICIPANTS

Convenience sample of 174 postpartum mothers with MS.

METHOD

Mothers completed the MS-Related Symptom Scale and Postpartum Support Questionnaire at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression analyses determined relationships between the dependent variable, emotional distress, and independent variables: participant characteristics, MS-related symptoms, and social support.

RESULTS

The authors found moderately strong positive correlations between MS-related symptoms and emotional distress at each assessment. Significant negative correlations existed between received social support and emotional distress at 1 month but not at 3 and 6 months. Significant positive correlations existed between MS-related symptoms and social support deficits at each assessment. Explained variance in emotional distress across the three assessments ranged between 2% and 4% for participant characteristics, 49% and 60% for MS-related symptoms, 2% and 7% for social support, and 57% and 66% for total variance.

CONCLUSION

MS-related symptoms created considerable emotional distress in mothers that was minimally alleviated by the support given them. In fact, many needed more support than they received.