{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,6]],"date-time":"2026-06-06T01:22:22Z","timestamp":1780708942337,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751932800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100019721","name":"Roche Espa\u00f1a","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100019721","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, with major consequences for their future lives. Patients with early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience uncertainty and intense emotions as the diagnosis is disclosed. Illness perception at this point can influence levels of adjustment, coping strategies, treatment adherence, and well-being of the patient. However, there is limited information on patient illness perception surrounding the diagnosis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this study was to assess illness perception and associated factors in early-stage RRMS patients.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted. Adult patients with a diagnosis of RRMS, a disease duration of \u2264 3 years, and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 0-5.5 were included. The Brief-Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) was used to assess the patients\u2019 cognitive and emotional representations of their illness. Different patient-reported measures were used to gather information on pain, fatigue, mood\/anxiety, quality of life, symptom severity, feelings of hopelessness, perception of stigma, cognition, hand dexterity, gait, and workplace difficulties. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between the patients\u2019 illness perception and demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as patient-reported outcomes.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 189 patients were included (mean age: 36.1 \u00b1 9.4 years, 71.4% females, mean disease duration: 1.4 \u00b1 0.8 years). The median EDSS score was 1.0 (interquartile range: 0.0-2.0). A total of 36.5% of the patients (n=69\/189) had a moderate-to-high threatening illness perception, and 45.5% thought that their disease was caused by psychological factors. Higher EDSS scores, symptom severity, poorer psychological quality of life, perception of stigma, and greater hopelessness were predictors of moderate-to-high threatening illness perception.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Threatening illness perceptions are common among patients with early-stage RRMS. Identifying these beliefs and their associated factors, and establishing individualized interventions, may help patients deal with their condition.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1565150","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T05:29:16Z","timestamp":1751952556000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Threatening illness perception and associated factors in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Roc\u00edo","family":"G\u00f3mez-Ballesteros","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susana","family":"Sainz de la 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