Achieving and maintaining a high quality of life following the diagnosis of chronic illness has a positive impact on the experience of illness, including delayed disease progression and fewer relapses. Time perspective has shown promising relationships with quality of life, though studies using the construct in samples with chronic illness are sparse and methodologically heterogeneous. Participants (n = 123) were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis at least five years prior to enrollment and were beginning a new disease modifying therapy (DMT). The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL-100) assessment were administered at baseline and the WHOQoL-100 was administered six-weeks after starting the new DMT. This study investigated the utility of three common methods of scoring and interpreting ZTPI (balanced vs. deviation-from-balanced, categorical, and continuous scores) to predict change in quality of life. Independent sample t-tests revealed no difference in quality of life for balanced vs. deviation-from-balanced. One-way ANOVA revealed no difference in quality of life across time perspective categories. Linear regression analysis found that past-negative scores predicted decreases in all quality of life domains as well as overall score while present hedonistic scores predicted increases in psychological and overall quality of life.
Keywords: chronic illness; multiple sclerosis; quality of life; time perspective.