Social identity and mood in people with MS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of social identity and mood in people with multiple sclerosis
IRAS ID
145195
Contact name
Nadina B Lincoln
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Research summary
Approximately 50% of people with multiple sclerosis experience depressive symptoms with negative consequences for both patients and carers. This research is investigating three social factors that may contribute to such mood disorders: social identity, social support and stigma.
Social isolation and disruption to relationships appear to contribute to the high prevalence of mood disorders in people living with MS. Changes to social group memberships may be an especially significant factor since social groups (e.g. those centred on family, work, community, sport or religion) provide security, support, purpose and a sense of identity to enable individuals to cope with life transitions. Changes to social group membership and identity have been shown to have detrimental effects on health and well-being in other chronic neurological conditions, and researchers are beginning to question whether this identity threat and loss of social functioning contribute to the high rates of anxiety and depression in the MS population.
In line with this, the current study will first explore the impact of social support on the mood of people living with MS. Secondly, whether maintenance of group memberships, particularly family groups, are linked to mood will be investigated. Thirdly, the impact of belonging to new groups will be examined. This will include groups for people with MS, both clinical and social. It may be that belonging to such peer support groups helps individuals regain a sense of identity and, thus, help improve mood. Alternatively, there may be negative implications to such identification due to the stigma attached to the condition. Little research has investigated the psychological impact of identifying with a group that is negatively viewed, thus it is an important area to investigate with significant implications for the delivery of clinical interventions.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0703
Date of REC Opinion
17 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion