Investigating anxiety surrounding illness uncertainty in MS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating anxiety surrounding illness uncertainty in Multiple Sclerosis.
IRAS ID
250150
Contact name
Colette Hirsch
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Within the disease, MS produces a variety of potentially disabling symptoms that can vary significantly between individuals and can change dynamically over time. While medications and other intervening measures may be used to ameliorate MS symptoms, treatments for MS are unable to cure the disease or reverse the damage that has occurred with relapses (Loma & Heyman, 2011). As a result of the disease’s inherently unpredictable variation in symptoms, severity and progression, Patients with MS (PwMS) understandably face a considerable amount of Illness Uncertainty (IU). However, within the MS population, while IU is an inherent part of the disease experience, PwMS vary greatly in their levels of anxiety surrounding IU. Previous research has suggested that underlying cognitive biases, coupled with pre-existing tendencies worry, intolerance of uncertainty, may underpin this variability.
A systematic review done recently by Student 1 (Jowinn Chew) has indicated that anxiety surrounding Illness Uncertainty (IU) are commonly associated with an overall lower Quality of Life (QoL) and a higher prevalence of emotional disorders. However, while previous research has been able to definitively point to a significant association between Illness Uncertainty (IU), emotional distress and QoL outcomes, the direction of these associations remains unknown.
It is the aim of the current project to identify the candidate cognitive processes that underpin anxiety surrounding Illness Uncertainty (IU), such as biases in attention and interpretation, attentional control, and intolerance of uncertainty via experimental methodologies. Following the identification of the relevant cognitive mechanisms, the current research aims to develop and pilot a multi-session on-line intervention using Cognitive Behavioural Modification targetting interpretation bias (CBM-I), to aid in ameliorating the key cognitive factors which underpin and maintain this anxiety in highly anxious PwMS.
REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1852
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion