Effects of Sexual Dysfunction, Fatigue, and Depression on the Quality of Life of Women with Multiple Sclerosis

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the effects of sexual dysfunction, fatigue, and depression of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) on their quality of life (QoL).
METHODS: The study included 30 women with MS, and 60 healthy women who presented to the outpatient clinics of Hafsa Sultan Hospital, Celal Bayar University, with simple complaints without a chronic disease. The sociodemographic form, fatigue severity scale (FSS), Arizona sexual experiences scale (ASES), Beck Depression scale (BDS), and Health-Related QoL Short Form-36 (SF-36) were administered to the patients with MS and patients in the control group. While patients with MS were assigned to the experimental group, other patients were assigned to the control group.
RESULTS: In both groups, the mean age of the patients was 34 (minimum=24, maximum=40) years. A significant statistical difference was found between the two groups in terms of the mean scores they obtained from the FSS (p<0.05). In our study, the mean scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups obtained from the overall BDS were 16.00±7.96 and 2.10±2.62, respectively. Of the participants in the experimental group, 9 experienced moderate depression and 2 had severe depression. Of the participants, 29 women in the experimental group and 10 women in the control group had sexual dysfunction. In terms of the mean scores they obtained from the ASES, a significant difference was found between the participants in the experimental and control groups (p<0.01).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Women with MS had higher levels of fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and depression than did the healthy controls, which explains the decrease in their QoL. The comparison of the participants in both groups in terms of their QoL revealed that the women with MS had a lower level of QoL than did the women in the control group.