Original Article

Intrapsychic and Interpersonal Realms in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Comparison with Normal Individuals: A Look at Object Relations and Anger Management

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to compare object relations and anger control between MS patients and normal individuals.

Method: The present study was a cross-sectional case-control study with two groups: the case group (patients with MS) and the control group (normal controls without MS). 80 patients and 80 healthy individuals were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria using a simple random sampling method. The research’s data collection tool was a three-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information, the Bell Object Relations and the Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI) and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory 2 (STAXI-2). The data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 26 using descriptive and analytical statistics (stepwise regression).

Results: The results showed that in terms of object relations, there was no significant difference between the two groups except in alienation of relations (P = 0.035). The results also showed that in general, there was no statistically significant difference between the anger index of the group of MS patients and the normal controls. However, 12.8% of MS patients were significantly different in state of anger, trait anger and anger control compared to normal individuals. This difference was especially higher in angry temperament (P = 0.025) and the anger expression-in (P = 0.04).

Conclusion: Although patients with MS were not significantly different from healthy individuals in terms of intrapsychic and interpersonal functions in the context of object relations and anger management, it seems that more complex and multifaceted explanations lie in the results that need further research.

1. Svrakic DM, Zorumski CF. Neuroscience of Object Relations in Health and Disorder: A Proposal for an Integrative Model. Front Psychol. 2021;12:583743.
2. Walton C, King R, Rechtman L, Kaye W, Leray E, Marrie RA, et al. Rising prevalence of multiple sclerosis worldwide: Insights from the Atlas of MS, third edition. Mult Scler. 2020;26(14):1816-21.
3. Azami M, Yektakooshali MH, Shohani M, Khorshidi A, Mahmudi L. Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one. 2019;14(4):e0214738.
4. Estrada-López M, Reguera-García MM, Pérez Rivera FJ, Molina AJ. Physical disability and personality traits in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020;37:101465.
5. Maggio MG, Cuzzola MF, Latella D, Impellizzeri F, Todaro A, Rao G, et al. How personality traits affect functional outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis: A scoping review on a poorly understood topic. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020;46:102560.
6. Murphy R, O'Donoghue S, Counihan T, McDonald C, Calabresi PA, Ahmed MA, et al. Neuropsychiatric syndromes of multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2017;88(8):697-708.
7. Magyari M, Sorensen PS. Comorbidity in Multiple Sclerosis. Front Neurol. 2020;11:851.
8. Magyari M, Sorensen PS. The changing course of multiple sclerosis: rising incidence, change in geographic distribution, disease course, and prognosis. Curr Opin Neurol. 2019;32(3):320-6.
9. Stathopoulou A, Christopoulos P, Soubasi E, Gourzis P. Personality characteristics and disorders in multiple sclerosis patients: assessment and treatment. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2010;22(1):43-54.
10. Strober LB. Personality in multiple sclerosis (MS): impact on health, psychological well-being, coping, and overall quality of life. Psychol Health Med. 2017;22(2):152-61.
11. Demirci S, Demirci K, Demirci S. The Effect of Type D Personality on Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2017;54(3):272-6.
12. Summers F. Object Relations Theories and Psychopathology: A Comprehensive Text: Taylor & Francis; 2014.
13. Bram AD. Object relations, interpersonal functioning, and health in a nonclinical sample: Construct validation and norms for the TAT SCORS-G. Psychoanal Psychol. 2014;31(3):314-42.
14. Tabatabaipour B, Khosropour F, Zenoozian S. Structural Equation Modeling of the Relationship between Object Relations in Cluster B Personality Disorders with the Mediating Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation. Islamic Lifestyle Centered on Health. 2019;3(4):101-10.
15. Laing CM, Cooper CL, Summers F, Lawrie L, O'flaherty S, Phillips LH. c. Psychol Health. The nature of anger in people with multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study. Psychol Health. 2020;35(7):824-37.
16. Pitteri M, Genova H, Lengenfelder J, DeLuca J, Ziccardi S, Rossi V, et al. Social cognition deficits and the role of amygdala in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients without cognitive impairment. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2019;29:118-23.
17. Bagheri J, Birashk B, Dehghani M, Asgharnejad AA. The Relationship Between Object Relations and the Severity of Depression Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2019;25(3):328-43
18. Ömerhoca S, Akkaş SY, İçen NK. Multiple sclerosis: diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Arch Neuropsy. 2018;55(Suppl 1):S1
19. Pad RA, Huprich SK, Porcerelli J. Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Self-Report and Performance-Based Assessment of Object Relations. J Pers Assess. 2020;102(6):858-65.
20. Mesgarian F, Azadfallah P, Farahani H, Ghorbani N. Psychometric properties of Bell object relations inventory (BORI). Clin Psychol Pers. 2020;15(2):193-204.
21. Khodayarifard M, Spielberger CD, Lavasani MG, Zardkhaneh SA. Psychometric properties of Farsi version of the Spielberger‘s state-trait anger expression inventory-2 (FSTAXI-2). Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2013;82:325-9.
22. Khodayari-Fard M, Lavasani M, Akbari_Zardkhane SE, Liaghat S. Psychomertic properties spielberger's state-trait anger expression inventory-2 among of Iranian students. Arch Reh. 2010;11(1):47-56
23. Auchincloss EL, Samberg E, Association AP. Psychoanalytic Terms and Concepts: Yale University Press; 2012
24. Miller EK, Lundqvist M, Bastos AM. Working Memory 2.0. Neuron. 2018;100(2):463-75.
25. Caputo A. Psychodynamic insights from narratives of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A qualitative phenomenological study. J Clin Psychol. 2019;7(2).
26. Chen MH, Goverover Y. Self-awareness in multiple sclerosis: Relationships with executive functions and affect. Eur J Neurol. 2021;28(5):1627-35.
27. Thormann A, Sørensen PS, Koch-Henriksen N, Thygesen LC, Laursen B, Magyari M. Chronic comorbidity in multiple sclerosis is associated with lower incomes and dissolved intimate relationships. Eur J Neurol. 2017;24(6):825-34.
28. Mahmoodi H. Comparison of perceived social support and self-compassion among patients with multiple sclerosis and normal people. Quarterly journal of health psychology. 2018;7(25):21-34
29. Raimo S, Trojano L, Pappacena S, Alaia R, Spitaleri D, Grossi D, et al. Neuropsychological correlates of theory of mind deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis. Neuropsychology. 2017;31(7):811-21.
Files
IssueVol 18 No 1 (2023) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v18i1.11409
Keywords
Anger Case-Control Study Iran Multiple Sclerosis Object Relations
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Shahamat Dehsorkh F, Ghadirian F, Yekta Y, Yekta R, Foroughipour M, Ghazizadeh Hashemi F, Esmaeili M, Khabazkhoob M. Intrapsychic and Interpersonal Realms in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Comparison with Normal Individuals: A Look at Object Relations and Anger Management. Iran J Psychiatry. 2022;18(1):18-25.