Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis who underwent complex rehabilitation, and to identify the aspect (psychological, physical or social) in which most improvement was achieved with respect to quality of life after complex rehabilitation.
Materials and methods: The study was carried out from July to September 2010 at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Borne Sulinowo. The study group included 30 subjects with diagnosed multiple sclerosis. The study was based on a diagnostic survey--a questionnaire for direct survey. We used the reintegration to normal living index scale (RNLI) and expanded disability status scale.
Results: We found a statistically significant improvement in the assessment of the quality of life in patients who underwent complex rehabilitation (p = 0.000000). The analysis of individual aspects of the quality of life revealed a statistically significant improvement in all aspects: psychological (p = 0.000027), physical (p = 0.000090) and social (p = 0.000026). The difference in the assessment of the quality of life in the social aspect was 1.21, in the physical aspect - 1.16, and in the psychological aspect - 0.86. The greatest difference in the assessment of the quality of life was found for the social aspect, and the lowest in the psychological aspects.
Conclusions: Complex rehabilitation improves the self--reported quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis in all its aspects. After complex rehabilitation the highest scores were found for the assessment of the quality of life in the psychological aspect, but the greatest improvement in the quality of life was in the social aspect, proving the positive effects of sociotherapy.