A resilience group training program for people with multiple sclerosis

Other measures (1)

Background and study aims Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild. In many cases, it's possible to treat symptoms. Average life expectancy is slightly reduced for people with MS. It's most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s and 30s, although it can develop at any age. It's about 2 to 3 times more common in women than men. MS is one of the most common causes of disability in younger adults. Adjusting to MS can be highly demanding, and the disease can be a consistent source of stress. Resilience is an internal resource for alleviating the adverse effects of stress and sustaining good mental health through adversity. In recent years, an Australian team developed and tested an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based group resilience-training program: the REsilience and Activities for every DaY (READY). In view of the promising preliminary data on the READY for MS resilience training intervention, we decided to apply the READY for MS in Italy and to evaluate the efficacy of the program by following the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Italian READY for MS program in a multi-center cluster randomized trial. Who can participate? Adults over 18 years, diagnosed with MS. What does the study involve? Participants will be randomly allocated to receive the READY intervention consisting of seven weekly 2.5 hour sessions plus a 2.5 hour ‘booster’ session approximately five weeks after the seventh session, or a control program with the same number of sessions and schedules (but with different content). What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? This study will produce evidence on the efficacy of a brief, structured group intervention to promote resilience in people with MS by comparing it with an active group intervention. It is expected that, by empowering participant inner resources, Italian READY for MS can promote a personal growth that may help participants to prevent or overcome difficulties in adjustment to MS, and to live a full and rich life. The Italian READY for MS program is brief and highly structured, which ease its affordability. We do not expect any negative effects due to the participation in this study. Where is the study run from? Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta (Italy) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? January 2020 to December 2022 (updated 09/04/2021, previously: December 2021; updated 20/10/2020, previously: September 2021) Who is funding the study? Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla – FISM (Italy) Who is the main contact? Ambra Mara Giovannetti, ambra.giovannetti@istituto-besta.it