Sense of coherence in patients after limb amputation and in patients after spine surgery

Sense of Coherence and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Physical and Neurological Disability

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that can lead to permanent disability and significantly impact the quality of life. The present study explores the relationship between neurological disability and disease symptoms, quality of life, and the level of sense of coherence, which is an important resource for coping with the disease. EDSS, GNDS, SOC-29, and MSIS-29 were used in the presented study. The study group consisted of 137 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The study showed the correlation between most of the analyzed variables. Mood disability and fatigue were significant predictors of the sense of coherence and explained 34% of its variance. Physical disability and fatigue served as significant predictors of the physical aspect of quality of life, explaining 49% of its variance. Fatigue and sense of coherence were significant predictors of the psychological aspect of quality of life, explaining 47% of the variance. In studies on a group of people with multiple sclerosis, it is worth considering, in addition to the level of disability, also invisible symptoms, such as fatigue or mood disability, which are important for the quality of life and the level of resources. As this study suggests, a sense of coherence is a resource essential for the quality of life of people with disabilities.

Evaluation of coping with chronic rheumatic disease, in the context of socio-demographic factors and disease duration, based on the example of patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objectives

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) impairs patients' functioning, reducing their quality of life. The author of salutogenesis, Antonovsky, claims that maintaining an inner balance in a chronic disease is possible through a high sense of coherence. The aim of the current study was to identify socio-demographic factors and disease duration related to the feeling of coherence of patients with AS, acceptance of disease and risk of depression.

Material and methods

The study was conducted on 82 patients with diagnosed AS. The research method was a diagnostic survey using the Life Orientation Questionnaire (SOC-29), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS).

Results

In the study, the majority of the patients were male (89%), aged 42 (±11.3). The average duration of AS is 13 (±7.8) years. It was reported that with age, illness acceptance got worse (r_p = -0.567, p < 0.0001), and the risk of depressive disorders increased (r_p = 0.648, p < 0.0001). The longer the patient suffered from AS, the weaker was their illness acceptance (r_p = -0.446, p < 0.0001) and sense of coherence (r_p = -0.448, p < 0.001) whereas the risk of depressive disorder increased (r_p = 0.479, p < 0.0001). A high linear correlation between illness acceptance and sense of coherence (r_p = 0.638, p < 0.0001) and a very high negative correlation between overall sense of coherence and risk of depression (r_p = -0.857, p < 0.0001) were observed.

Conclusions

Patients with low sense of coherence demonstrated poorer adaptation to the illness and a greater risk of depressive disorders. Factors lowering the sense of coherence and illness acceptance and increasing risk of depression in the studied patients with AS were progressing illness, older age and lower education level.

Low sense of coherence during postoperative recovery is associated with a poorer lumbar spinal stenosis - surgical outcome: A 5-year follow-up study

This study investigated the association between the 3-month postoperative sense of coherence and the 5-year postoperative outcome of decompressive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis. The participants with a lower sense of coherence at the 3-month follow-up had a poorer functional ability and lower satisfaction with surgery, higher pain ratings, lower life satisfaction and more depressive symptoms 5 years postoperatively. A low 3-month sense of coherence associated with greater pain and a poorer functional ability 5 years postoperatively. Evaluating sense of coherence and depressive symptoms in patients who have had lumbar spinal stenosis surgery may help in identifying those in need of enhanced support for postoperative recovery.