SynthesisBMC neurology2024
Stigma and health outcomes in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trial
- Emotional Abuse and Psychological Distress in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: The Mediation Role of Internalized Shame and Chronic Illness Stigma.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Understanding stigma in multiple sclerosis: workplace discrimination, social challenges and psychological impacts.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2026Article
- 'The power of universality is that everybody is treated the same': Exploring the possibilities and limitations of a universal approach to stigma reduction among BBV/STI sector stakeholders in Australia.Harm reduction journal · 2026Article
- Exploring the use of art interventions in challenging stigmas related to neurological disorders: A scoping review.PloS one · 2026Article
- Bodily experiences in multiple sclerosis: functional neurological symptoms, body image dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviors. A narrative review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- A mixed-methods cross-sectional study on the associations between internalized stigma, physical activity, and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Understanding the Impact of Multiple Sclerosis on Quality of Life: An Italian Pilot Study.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Bowel Dysfunctions in Young Adults with Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective Study.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Reducing Stigma, Enhancing Psychological Well-Being and Identity in Multiple Sclerosis: A Narrative Review of Current Practices and Future Directions.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Impact of general population stigmatization toward marriage in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study.BMC neurology · 2025Article
- Fear of disease progression and relapse in multiple sclerosis: a systematic scoping review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Review
- From prevention to management: Exploring the impact of diet on multiple sclerosis.Translational neuroscience · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStigma is increasingly recognised as contributing to disability in MS. This systematic review aimed to answer the following question: To what extent is stigma associated with psychological and physical health outcomes in MS?
methodsThe inclusion criteria were: scientific publication of original quantitative research in adults with MS and/or Clinically Isolated Syndrome; outcome measures including a measurement of stigma and psychological and/or physical health; peer reviewed articles in the English language. Pubmed, PsycINFO and Science Direct were searched in November 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool was used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias in all of the identified studies. The following data was extracted: (1) author and publication year, (2) country, (3) design, (4) sample size and demographics, (5) stigma measure, (6) psychological and/or physical health outcomes, 8) key findings.
results18 Studies were identified, reporting in total 22,021 adult participants with multiple sclerosis, with individual sample sizes ranging from 33 to 6,670. The review consistently identified stigma to be significantly associated with adverse psychological and physical health outcomes in all 18 identified studies. Over half of all identified studies investigated depression and stigma and over half investigated quality of life and stigma, and a significant association was demonstrated for both of these variables with stigma in all of these studies. DISCUSSION: Limitations are that most studies were Western with primarily white participants. Only variables studied could be reported and therefore only a selective perspective of stigma in MS could be explored. A meta-analysis was not feasible, due to the variety of stigma definitions and measures employed. A model of stigma in MS is presented and possible interventions to manage stigma in MS are discussed. A need for international action to develop a consensus measure of MS stigma and determine the trajectory and causal dynamics of MS stigma is highlighted.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.