Multiple sclerosis is an incurable autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, which is characterized by many, very diverse neurological symptoms, on which the entire course of the disease depends. People with MS face a wide range of problems in many areas of an individual's life, which greatly affects the quality of life. The main goal of comprehensive patient care is to maintain the quality of life. One form of support for patients with MS is participation in support groups. In the master's thesis, we discussed the connection between participation in support groups for patients and their relatives and changes in their quality of life. In the theoretical part, we defined multiple sclerosis and the factors associated with the onset of the disease. We also described the course of the disease, symptoms and possible forms of treatment. Part of the theoretical introduction was also devoted to the quality of life of patients with MS. The chapter on group treatment includes subchapters on the history of the group approach, its forms and therapeutic effects, and on group treatment of MS. The empirical part presents a research in which the field of participation in support groups for MS patients and their relatives was investigated in connection with the change in their quality of life. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for the purpose of the research. We used a survey questionnaire that included demographic questions and consisted of three established questionnaires, namely: a questionnaire on body sensations, a Life Attitude Profile and a Life Satisfaction Scale. 20 participants took part in the research, among which half of the participants were MS patients and half were relatives of patients with this disease. All participants were included in the support group for one year. After one year of participation in a support group for patients and their relatives, the research showed an improvement in the SWLS questionnaire, which shows more satisfaction with life and less fear in the BSQ questionnaire. The LAP-R questionnaire showed us several life attitude profiles, although only one result was statistically significant. Based on the results, we can claim that participation in the group has a positive effect on the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis and their relatives.
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