Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Fatigue is an overwhelming subjective feeling of tiredness, and is the most common and troublesome symptom for people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). MS-related fatigue keeps people from going about in their daily-lives, and is associated with poor mental health (such as depression, and anxiety), as well as negative moods. Catastrophizing, which is the tendency to expect the worst health outcome, is associated with increased fatigue levels. Changing patterns of castastrophizing behaviour may better the management of fatigue symptom for patients with MS. However, the process by which catastrophizing worsens fatigue is unclear and has yet to be examined. Given that Canada has one of the world's highest rates of MS diagnoses, understanding factors that contribute to the disabling symptoms of this disease is of significant importance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of fatigue catastrophizing on the mental and physical health of patients with MS. This study will recruit 100 MS patients from a Toronto hospital and the community. Participants will be asked to complete an online survey about the impact of MS on their lives. Study results will be used for the development of future interventions aimed to improve psychological well-being, and management of fatigue symptoms for individuals suffering from MS.