RETRACTED ARTICLE: Structural relations of illness perception, fatigue, locus of control, self-efficacy, and coping strategies in patients with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience extensive problemsdue to fatigue and illness perception. Reducing these problems may improve thesepatients’ quality of life (QoL). Accordingly, the current study is aimedat investigating the mediating role of self-efficacy, locus of control, copingstrategy, and outcome expectancy in the relationship between illness perceptionand fatigue severity in patients with MS.

In a cross-sectional analytical study, data of 172 MS patients werecollected by self-report questionnaires including illness perceptionquestionnaires (IPQ-R), Multiple Sclerosis Self-Efficacy (MSSES) scale, healthlocus of control (MHLC), coping strategies in MS(CMSS), outcome expectancy,level of physical activity (IPAQ-SF), patient activation measure (PAM-13) andfatigue severity scale (FSS). The data were analyzed using linear and multipleregression analysis in SPSS software version 24 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL,USA).

The final model explained 62% of the fatigue variance.Illness perception both directly and indirectly (through self-efficacy, physicalactivity level, internal health locus of control, patient activation, andnegative coping strategies) could predict the participants’ fatigueseverity. Among the mediating variables, internal health locus of control,self-efficacy, and negative coping strategies had the greatest impact,respectively. moreover, outcome expectancy variable did not a mediating role inthe aforementioned relationship.

To enhance the well-being of MS patients and to improve theefficiency of treating MS related fatigue, a comprehensive treatment protocol isneeded, encompassing psychological factors affecting fatigue severity.