Symptom management and adjustment of patients with multiple sclerosis: a 4-year longitudinal intervention study.

The researchers studied the effectiveness of a nursing intervention in promoting adjustment and symptom management in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was a 4-year longitudinal study to determine whether the 4-week intensive outpatient program was effective in increasing adjustment to MS and if the treatment effect would last over time. A sample of 27 individuals with MS participated in the study. Treatment participants had significant improvements in symptom management at the 4-year follow up. This improvement was attributable to signficant improvements in sleep and fatigue levels. Although adjustment and self-efficacy scores improved in the treatment group over time, this improvement was not superior to the control group. This was anticipated because the behavioral changes would precede improvement in adjustment to life following the diagnosis of MS.