Family-focused MS education program boosts patient mental health

An educational program aimed at empowering the whole family may help improve mental health for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a clinical trial.

Results also indicate that the program can help MS patients take more steps to proactively manage their own health, emphasizing the importance of including family members as integral partners in MS care.

“Including family caregivers in structured education and empowerment programs may allow support for MS self-management to continue beyond the clinical setting and into patients’ everyday lives,” the researchers wrote.

The findings were described in the study, “Impact of the Family-Centered Empowerment Model on Health-Promoting Lifestyle and Psychological Well-Being in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial,” published in Health Science Reports.

MS symptoms range from chronic fatigue and mobility limitations to incontinence and cognitive problems. Dealing with MS can take a heavy toll, not only for people with the disease, but also their families, as patients often have to lean on family members to help manage their MS.

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Model aimed at empowering families

In the early 2000s, a researcher in Iran developed an educational program called the Family-Centered Empowerment Model (FCEM), which aims to improve life quality for families affected by chronic diseases.

The FCEM involves educational sessions aimed at empowering patients and families to understand their condition, and equipping patients and family members with individualized tools to help them cope with specific issues that they are facing.

Here, a team of researchers conducted a small clinical trial (IRCT20190917044802N12) at Fasa University of Medical Sciences in Iran, aimed at exploring the utility of the FCEM for families affected by MS.

Seventy pairs of MS patients and caregivers were enrolled. Half of these pairs completed a FCEM program consisting of at least five in-person sessions over the course of several weeks. (Specific programs were tailored based on each pair’s needs.) The other half, serving as a controls, received only an educational booklet.

To evaluate the impact of the program, the researchers looked at two standardized measurements: the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWP), which assesses mental health, and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), which evaluates how well patients are engaging in activities to maintain their health by looking at factors ranging from nutrition and exercise to stress management and social support.

At the study’s start, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of these scores. While both scores increased (improved) after the intervention in both groups, the increases were significantly more pronounced in the FCEM program group (18.2 vs. 4.37 points in the HPLP score and 31.91 vs. 4.62 points in the PWB score).

Significant differences between the groups were maintained two months after the end of the intervention.

“Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group had higher HPLP and PWB scores immediately after the intervention and at the 2-month follow-up,” the researchers wrote.

The findings underscore the importance of including patients’ support systems as part of delivering care, the team said.

“In this study, a structured FCEM-based intervention involving patients with MS and their primary family caregivers was associated with greater improvements in health-promoting lifestyle and [mental health] than routine care alone,” the researchers wrote. “Involving family members more closely in patient education and supportive services may complement existing care, particularly because family caregivers can help patients maintain health-promoting behaviors and self-management strategies at home.”