Resilience Important Aspect of Improved QOL for Myeloma

A high level of resilience—or a person’s ability to adapt to adversity—was associated with a better mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with multiple myeloma and its precursor diseases, according to the results of a study published in BMJ Open.

Early stages of multiple myeloma are usually asymptomatic, but survivors of myeloma often deal with a wide variety of mental and physical impairments due to the disease itself or its treatments. In addition, research has shown that even in the early asymptomatic stages of the disease, patients may experience physical and mental impairment to HRQOL.

With this study, Imad Maatouk, MD, of Medical University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues investigated if there was a relationship between resilience and mental and physical HRQOL.

“In the current scientific discussion, resilience is described as a multidimensional construct that encompasses both relatively stable personality traits and a state that is triggered by adverse events such as undergoing a treatment for cancer,” the researchers wrote.

In this single-center study, the researchers included 292 consecutive patients from the myeloma outpatient department. Patients could have a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, smoldering myeloma, or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. The patients completed questionnaires on HRQOL, depression, and psychological resilience.

Read more here: http://www.multiplemyeloma.org.nz/wp-admin/post-new.php