The Roles Between Gratitude, Perceived Stress, and Quality of Life Among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Dispositional gratitude has been negatively associated with perceived stress (PS) and positively associated with higher well-being in both general and chronically ill people. Attempts to understand the relationship between gratitude and aspects of quality of life (QOL) have been documented; however, there is limited research on determining the potential mediating effect of PS on gratitude and QOL factors in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In this cross-sectional study, participant demographics, dispositional gratitude, PS, and QOL factors were collected online via self-report measures from a sample of 68 participants diagnosed with MS. Results indicated that both dispositional gratitude and PS were associated with aspects of QOL and that PS was found to partially and indirectly account for the relationship between gratitude and improved QOL. Findings are consistent with existing research conducted with non-chronically ill samples. Clarifying relationships between PS and dispositional factors in MS is necessary to inform future interventions aimed at maintaining and enhancing an individual's QOL.