The Effect of the Human Care Model on Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that usually affects young adults, progresses with attacks and remissions, causes widespread demyelinating lesions in the central nervous system, and can lead to functional limitations, disability, or a decrease in quality of life. It is reported that the number of individuals diagnosed with MS is approximately 58 thousand in our country and more than 2.9 million worldwide. This means that one person is diagnosed with MS every five minutes worldwide. According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute , MS ranks sixth among causes of death in 2022 with 3.5% and first among diseases that cause disability . According to TUİK data, 153 people died due to MS in 2021 and 138 people died in 2022 . As can be understood from the high rates of disability and death, MS is an important disease that critically affects people\'s lives and quality of life. MS usually begins with attacks due to demyelination of axons in the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord; over time, it turns into a neurodegenerative disease associated with lack of neurotrophic support and neuron loss. Depending on the location and degree of degeneration of sensory and/or motor neurons during the course of the disease, various neurological disorders such as gait disturbance, loss of balance, muscle strength loss, fatigue, cognitive impairment and sensory loss occur alone or together. The physical, psychosocial and cognitive deficiencies caused by all these disorders and the chronic course of the disease limit the individuals; participation in activities and social life in their daily lives, causing the patients, physical performance, social roles and quality of life to be negatively affected. It is important to ensure the physical, social and psychological well-being of individuals diagnosed with MS, to increase their quality of life and to ensure their active and healthy participation in economic and social life. Considering the characteristics of MS disease, factors such as being chronic and irreversible, progressing with attacks, uncertainty in the treatment and disease process, and side effects of the drugs used negatively affect the physical and psychological health of individuals. In the health service to be provided to individuals diagnosed with MS, it is necessary to work on new methods and techniques in addition to medical approaches. It is important to provide holistic nursing care to MS patients, which includes not only symptom treatment but also the psychosocial status of the patient and addresses the patients problems from every aspect. Holistic nursing care, which addresses the patient problems from every aspect, forms the basis of the Human Care Model of nursing theorist Jean Watson. For Watson, nursing care is a professional, aesthetic, moral and scientific interpersonal process with the interaction of two individuals in terms of physical, spiritual, sociocultural and mental aspects. Watsons Human Care Model consists of the common sharing of core values in interaction and trust, disease prevention and health promotion, teaching-learning, holistic-alternative help practices, the individuals free will and autonomy-autonomy, the harmony of emotional and spiritual needs and scientific problem solving in decision making. The Human Caring Model values holistic practices by considering the concepts of soul-body-mental as a whole. When the studies in the literature are examined, it has been presented that nursing care based on Watsons Human Caring Model increases the quality of life in various diagnosed patient groups, reduces depression and pain, increases sleep quality and provides glycemic control. However, to our knowledge, no research has been conducted on individuals with MS based on Watsons Human Caring Model. Based on the idea that the model to be used will cause a positive change in the quality of life of MS patients, it is anticipated that this model-based research, which is preferred, can guide the treatment, support and counseling services that nurses provide to MS patients and strengthen nursing care. Purpose of the Study This study is to determine the effect of nursing care based on Watsons Human Caring Model on the quality of life of patients with MS. Hypotheses of the Study H0: Nursing care based on Watsons Human Caring Model has no effect on the quality of life of MS patients. H1: Nursing care based on Watsons Human Caring Model has an effect on the quality of life of MS patients.