Namvar Hooman, Sahraian Mohammad Ali
Department of Psychology, College of Human Science, Saveh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran.
Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Oman Med J. 2023 Mar 31;38(2):e479. doi: 10.5001/omj.2023.58. eCollection 2023 Mar.
When a married family member suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS), the collective physical and psychosocial well-being of the family is impacted and much of the burden is on the healthier spouse. The purpose of the present study was to determine the contribution of psychosocial support from spouses, friends, and others in overall family functioning in respect of Iranian patients with MS, considering the mediating role of spiritual experiences and moral foundations.
Spouses of patients with MS were chosen through the judgmental sampling method. The research instruments comprised the Family Assessment Device, Social Support Appraisals Scale, Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, and Moral Foundations Questionnaire. Data analysis was done through the path analysis technique.
The subjects comprised 220 spouses of MS patients. We found a significant relationship between family support path and overall functioning mediated by the variable 'spiritual experiences', the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) value being < 0.001. Similarly, the relationship between spiritual experiences and moral foundations had a significant effect on overall family functioning (RMSEA < 0.001). After eliminating insignificant relationships and estimating fit indicators, the modified (adjusted) model indicated goodness of fit with data.
This study found, for the first time in the Iranian community, a significant effect of family support focused on spouses of MS patients compared to the support from friends and others, with regard to family functioning. The mediating roles of spiritual experiences and moral foundations were confirmed. Further studies are suggested to delve into the role of family support for MS patients in developing countries.
当已婚家庭成员患有多发性硬化症（MS）时，家庭的整体身心健康会受到影响，且大部分负担落在健康的配偶身上。本研究的目的是确定配偶、朋友及其他人提供的心理社会支持对伊朗多发性硬化症患者家庭整体功能的贡献，并考虑精神体验和道德基础的中介作用。
通过判断抽样法选取多发性硬化症患者的配偶。研究工具包括家庭评估量表、社会支持评估量表、每日精神体验量表和道德基础问卷。采用路径分析技术进行数据分析。
研究对象包括220名多发性硬化症患者的配偶。我们发现家庭支持路径与由“精神体验”变量介导的整体功能之间存在显著关系，近似误差均方根（RMSEA）值<0.001。同样，精神体验与道德基础之间的关系对家庭整体功能有显著影响（RMSEA<0.001）。在剔除不显著关系并估计拟合指标后，修正（调整）模型显示与数据拟合良好。
本研究首次在伊朗社区发现，与朋友和其他人的支持相比，针对多发性硬化症患者配偶的家庭支持对家庭功能有显著影响。精神体验和道德基础的中介作用得到证实。建议进一步开展研究，深入探讨发展中国家家庭支持对多发性硬化症患者的作用。
