Pavol Mikula | Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Šafárika (original) (raw)

Papers by Pavol Mikula

The European health psychologist, 2015

Background The aim of this study is to explore whether self-esteem and social participation are a... more Background The aim of this study is to explore whether self-esteem and social participation are associated with the physical and mental domains of quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis, and whether self-esteem can mediate the association between social participation and health-related quality of life. Methods We collected information from 118 consecutive MS patients (response rate: 76.1%, 72.2% women), who completed the Participation Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Short-Form Health Survey for measuring the physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) components of quality of life. Multiple linear regressions and structural equation modeling were used for statistical analyses. Findings Age, gender, disease duration, functional status (EDSS) and participation were significant predictors of PCS, explaining 55.4% of the variance. No mediating effect of self-esteem was found between participation and PCS. Self-esteem mediated the association between social participation an...

European Journal of Neurology, 2012

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease with disabling consequences that ... more Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease with disabling consequences that occurs in young adults. Symptoms of MS are responsible for high levels of stress and low levels of overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In this dissertation we aimed at gaining insight into the associations between physical and psychosocial factors and HRQoL in order to identify areas that could benefit from intervention. We found that problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and coping focused on stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts were all predictors of the mental component (MCS) of health-related quality of life and that all three coping strategies mediated the associations between fatigue and MCS and also between type D personality and MCS. We also found that self-esteem is a predictor of MCS and mediated the association between social participation and MCS. Social participation by itself, on the other hand, was associated only with the physical component (PCS)...

Frontiers in Psychology, 2020

Fatigue and poor sleep quality are among the most common patient-reported problems associated wit... more Fatigue and poor sleep quality are among the most common patient-reported problems associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Social support, on the other hand, is often found to be positively associated with quality of life in patients with neurological diseases. Studies also show that suicidal ideation (SI) levels in MS are elevated compared to the general population. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the associations between fatigue, social support, and SI in patients with MS. Out of 184 MS patients asked to participate in this cross-sectional study, 156 agreed (RR 69.8%; 75% female; mean age: 39.95 ± 9.97 years). Patients filled-in the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the subscale of the General Health Questionnaire-28 focused on assessing SI. Models were controlled for age, gender, disease duration, functional disability, and sleep quality. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regressions. SI was positively associated with lower sleep quality and four types of fatigue: general, mental, reduced activity, and reduced motivation (p < 0.05). Physical fatigue was not significantly associated with SI. Social support was negatively associated with SI in all models. The final models under study explained from 24.3 to 29.7% of the total variance in SI. SI yielded associations with both sleep quality and fatigue, with the exception of physical fatigue. Information provided by physicians on sleep management, and a psychosocial intervention focused on people who provide support for patients with MS (family, friends, and significant others) may reduce levels of SI.

Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 2021

BACKGROUND Optimal self-management seem to be protective factor of health-related quality of life... more BACKGROUND Optimal self-management seem to be protective factor of health-related quality of life and psychological well-being in many chronic conditions. However, the results in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are still inconclusive. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the associations between self-management, self-esteem and psychological well-being in people with MS when controlled for sociodemographic and clinical variables. METHODS A total of 165 people with MS filled in The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale, and General Health Questionnaire-28, to assess main variables under study. Functional status was measured by Kurtzke disability Status Scale. RESULTS We found significant associations between self-esteem and somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression. Explained variance of the models ranged from 16% to 38% for somatic symptoms and severe depression, respectively. Self-management significantly contributed to the explained variance in all models sans GHQ social dysfunction. Self-esteem was significant contributor to overall variance in all models. DISCUSSION According to our results, self-management and self-esteem were found to be associated with multiple domains of psychological well-being. These findings may be used in neurological practice, to help people with MS who report psychological distress in one or more domains.

European Journal of Public Health, 2016

European Journal of Public Health, 2017

Background: Self-rated health is a valid and reliable subjective indicator of general health. We ... more Background: Self-rated health is a valid and reliable subjective indicator of general health. We aimed to assess the associations between self-rated health, mental health problems, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and BMI among Slovak urban adolescents. Methods: Data were collected within the EU-FP7: EURO-URHIS 2 (The European Health Indicator System Part 2) project in two largest Slovak cities: Bratislava and Kosice. Sample included 1111 adolescents (response rate 73.7%, mean age 14.32 AE 0.48 years, 52.8% boys). Self-rated health was measured with the first item from the Short Form Health Survey 36 questionnaire, mental health problems were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and for physical activity and sedentary behaviour questions from the WHO HBSC questionnaire were used. Logistic regression was performed to determine the associations between self-rated health and the independent variables. Results: Self-rated health was found to be significantly associated with mental health problems, sedentary behaviour and BMI. However, the strongest association was found with engagement in physical activity every day (OR 8.0; 95% CI 1.6-39.9). Conclusions: Previous research revealed that self-rated health was associated with various mental health problems. Our findings add to these results by showing that physical activity and sedentary behaviour are also very important additional factors related to self-rated health. Better understanding of these associations can help in developing more effective public health intervention programmes for adolescents.

Brain and behavior, Nov 1, 2016

Most of the psychological and physical factors associated with poor sleep quality in patients wit... more Most of the psychological and physical factors associated with poor sleep quality in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a different prevalence in women and men, but whether or not these factors contribute differently to sleep quality in women and men with MS remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify possible gender differences in factors related to poor sleep quality in MS patients. We collected data from 153 patients with MS. Patients filled out the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and one item of the Short Form-36 regarding pain. The best model of predictors of poor sleep quality consisting of gender, depression, anxiety, pain, and the interaction between gender and pain showed that the only variable interacting with gender, which was significantly associated with poor sleep quality was pain (odds ratio [OR] for interaction of pain with male gender was 15.4, 95% CI: 2.4; 39.5). Separate models for men and women ...

Journal of health psychology, Jan 24, 2016

The aim of this study is to explore whether different coping strategies are able to mediate the a... more The aim of this study is to explore whether different coping strategies are able to mediate the association between Type D personality and quality of life. We collected information from 156 consecutive patients (response rate: 72.9%; 75.0% women; median age: 40 ± 3 years). Patients completed the Type D Scale-14, the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale and the Short-Form Health Survey for measuring physical and mental quality of life. The mediating effect of coping was analysed using correlations, linear regressions and the Sobel z-test. In the mental quality of life, all three studied coping strategies mediated the association between Type D personality and quality of life.

Behavioral sleep medicine, Jan 18, 2016

Poor sleep is a serious burden for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study i... more Poor sleep is a serious burden for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to assess whether the association between sleep quality and disability in MS patients is direct or mediated by depression, pain, and fatigue. We collected data from 152 patients with MS who filled out the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory and one item of the Short Form-36 regarding pain. The relationship between poor sleep and disability was found to be indirect, mediated by depression (p < 0.05), pain (p < 0.001) and physical fatigue (p < 0.01). Treatment of sleep disturbances may have beneficial effects beyond improving sleep. It may reduce depression, pain, and physical fatigue, which in turn may lessen disability.

Journal of health psychology, Jan 12, 2016

The aim of this study is to explore whether self-esteem and social participation are associated w... more The aim of this study is to explore whether self-esteem and social participation are associated with the physical and mental quality of life (Physical Component Summary, Mental Component Summary) and whether self-esteem can mediate the association between these variables. We collected information from 118 consecutive multiple sclerosis patients. Age, gender, disease duration, disability status, and participation were significant predictors of Physical Component Summary, explaining 55.4 percent of the total variance. Self-esteem fully mediated the association between social participation and Mental Component Summary (estimate/standard error = -4.872; p < 0.001) and along with disability status explained 48.3 percent of the variance in Mental Component Summary. These results can be used in intervention and educational programs.

Psychology, health & medicine, Jan 16, 2015

Fatigue, as one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), has vario... more Fatigue, as one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), has various adverse effects on the physical and mental health-related quality of life (PCS, MCS) of patients. The aim of this study was to explore whether coping mediates the relationship between fatigue and PCS and MCS. We collected data from 154 consecutive MS patients (76.0% women; mean age 40.0 ± 9.9). Patients completed the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) and the coping self-efficacy scale. The mediating effect of coping was analysed using linear regressions and the Sobel z-test. In PCS significant mediation was found in some of the fatigue dimensions (general, physical and reduced Motivation), while in MCS, it was significant in all dimensions. These results can be implemented into educational programmes for patients, their caregivers or physicians, and can also be helpful in the treatment process.

Disability and health journal, 2015

Social participation is an integral part of everyday life in society; however, evidence about its... more Social participation is an integral part of everyday life in society; however, evidence about its association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is lacking. The aim of this study is to explore whether social participation is associated with the Physical Component Summary of HRQoL (PCS) and Mental Component Summary of HRQoL (MCS) in people with MS, controlled for age, gender, disease severity and disease duration. The sample consisted of 116 consecutive people with MS (response rate: 75.8%; 72.4% women; mean age 40.3 ± 9.8). People with MS completed the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) for measuring PCS and MCS and the Participation Scale, which measures the level of social participation. Disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The associations between social participation, PCS and MCS, were analyzed using linear regression that controlled for sociodemographic and clinical variables. PCS was significan...

Disability and Rehabilitation, 2013

Psychology, Health & Medicine, 2020

Sexual dysfunction is very commonly reported by people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, thi... more Sexual dysfunction is very commonly reported by people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, this problem often remains under-diagnosed and under-treated. Furthermore, still very little is known about protective psychosocial factors that may help to improve sexual functioning in MS patients. Thus, we aimed to assess the associations between social support, self-esteem and sexual functioning in MS patients when controlled for clinical and sociodemographic variables. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Rosenberg Scale of Self-esteem (RSE) were used to assess the independent variables. Sexual functioning was assessed by the Incapacity Status Scale (ISS). We found a significant association between social support and sexual functioning (p = 0.01). However, this association attenuated (p < 0.05) when self-esteem (p < 0.01) was added to the model. Furthermore, we found that sexual dysfunction in MS patients was associated with older age (p < 0.001). Self-esteem was associated with sexual functioning more strongly compared to social support and sexual functioning, even though both of these variables were associated with sexual functioning as well. Our findings support the biopsychosocial model of treatment of sexual dysfunction in MS patients.