TY - JOUR
T1 - Quality of life and access to treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis during economic crisis
T2 - the Lebanese experience
AU - Zeineddine, Maya
AU - Ismail, Ghida
AU - Issa, Malak
AU - El-Hajj, Taghrid
AU - Tfaily, Hassan
AU - Dassouki, Mohamad
AU - Assaf, Elie
AU - Abboud, Halim
AU - Salameh, Pascale
AU - Al-Hajje, Amal
AU - Boumediene, Farid
AU - Yamout, Bassem
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
PY - 2025/8
Y1 - 2025/8
N2 - Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that can lead to lifelong disability, significantly impacting patient’s quality of life (QOL). The current Lebanese economic crisis led to limited accessibility to MS therapies and had a major impact on QOL.The aim of this study was to assess QOL in a cohort of Lebanese MS patients, and its association with socio-demographic factors, disease characteristics, and treatment accessibility. Methods: A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted between June and September 2022 in Lebanese patients with confirmed MS diagnosis as per the 2017 McDonald criteria. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain (1) socio-demographic and medical information, (2) QOL assessment using the MS International QOL questionnaire (MusiQoL), and (3) information related to barriers in accessing MS therapies. All questionnaires were administered via telephone call. Results: A total of 350 MS patients were included in the study. Most participants (92.3%) were diagnosed with relapsing–remitting MS and were females (65.1%) with a mean age of 39.4 ± 11.4 years. The mean MusiQol global index was 69.2 ± 11.5. In the multivariate analysis, younger age, higher level of education, being employed, being married, living outside the capital Beirut, and having no physical disability were significantly associated with higher MusiQol global index scores. A total of 216 Lebanese MS patients (61.7%) had no access to MS treatments due to the economic crisis. Treatment discontinuation and lack of governmental or private insurance were significant predictors of lower MusiQol scores. Conclusion: The economic crisis and resultant recession in Lebanon had a significantly negative impacted on QOL and treatment accessibility of MS patients. Socio-demographic factors, disease characteristics and treatment accessibility were strong predictors of QOL.
AB - Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that can lead to lifelong disability, significantly impacting patient’s quality of life (QOL). The current Lebanese economic crisis led to limited accessibility to MS therapies and had a major impact on QOL.The aim of this study was to assess QOL in a cohort of Lebanese MS patients, and its association with socio-demographic factors, disease characteristics, and treatment accessibility. Methods: A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted between June and September 2022 in Lebanese patients with confirmed MS diagnosis as per the 2017 McDonald criteria. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain (1) socio-demographic and medical information, (2) QOL assessment using the MS International QOL questionnaire (MusiQoL), and (3) information related to barriers in accessing MS therapies. All questionnaires were administered via telephone call. Results: A total of 350 MS patients were included in the study. Most participants (92.3%) were diagnosed with relapsing–remitting MS and were females (65.1%) with a mean age of 39.4 ± 11.4 years. The mean MusiQol global index was 69.2 ± 11.5. In the multivariate analysis, younger age, higher level of education, being employed, being married, living outside the capital Beirut, and having no physical disability were significantly associated with higher MusiQol global index scores. A total of 216 Lebanese MS patients (61.7%) had no access to MS treatments due to the economic crisis. Treatment discontinuation and lack of governmental or private insurance were significant predictors of lower MusiQol scores. Conclusion: The economic crisis and resultant recession in Lebanon had a significantly negative impacted on QOL and treatment accessibility of MS patients. Socio-demographic factors, disease characteristics and treatment accessibility were strong predictors of QOL.
KW - Disease-modifying therapies
KW - Lebanon
KW - Multiple sclerosis
KW - MusiQol
KW - Quality of life
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002599494
U2 - 10.1007/s11136-025-03970-7
DO - 10.1007/s11136-025-03970-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 40232635
AN - SCOPUS:105002599494
SN - 0962-9343
VL - 34
SP - 2293
EP - 2303
JO - Quality of Life Research
JF - Quality of Life Research
IS - 8
ER -
