Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Abstract

Social support is a very important aspect of debilitating diseases. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disabling disease that impairs a patient’s quality of life and affects a patient’s environment. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is used to measure the perception of the sufficiency of social support for individuals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of the MSPSS to the Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI), age and gender in patients with OSAS. In this study, 183 subjects with a diagnosis of OSAS were enrolled. Patients were evaluated with the MSPSS in terms of age, gender and polysomnography results. According to the results of this study, the MSPSS has found to be higher in men than in women with OSAS and higher in moderate-severe OSAS than in mild OSAS. The MSPSS can be an important indicator of how patients cope with the disease. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.