Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease in which the myelin lining the central nervous system is damaged. The complex and unpredictable nature of MS disease makes the diagnosis process more difficult for the patient. The aim of this study was to review the lived experiences of patients with multiple sclerosis when receiving the diagnosis.
Methods: We followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement. A systematic search was performed using four databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and psych info on April 2022.
Results: We found 537 articles. After Applying relevant exclusion criteria removing duplicate and irrelevant articles, 13 studies were included in our systematic review after the abstract and full-text screening. Our findings collected data from 10 sub-themes in the following 3 themes to capture patients' experiences after receiving the diagnosis. These included: Emotional reactions to receiving the diagnosis; Communication with health professionals and knowledge about MS and Fear of being different.
Conclusion: It is important to understand patients' experiences with the disease and identifying problems to help and support families, patients, and health care personnel's. Therefore, it is necessary to design or implement therapeutic interventions for patients at the time of receiving the diagnosis to reduce psychological problems.
Keywords: Diagnosis; Experience; Multiple sclerosis; Systematic review.
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