A Positive Psychology Intervention for Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Positive psychology (PP) uses targeted activities to increase the frequency and intensity of
positive emotional experiences such as positive affect. Examples of PP activities include
recalling positive life events and performing acts of kindness. This pilot study will examine
the tolerability and efficacy of a PP training program to increase positive affect in
patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In the intervention phase, subjects randomized to the
intervention group will complete five weeks of PP exercises, one exercise per week. Subjects
will also have weekly calls with the study trainer. The control group will have no study
activities. In the extension phase, subjects in the control group will complete PP training
as described above. The investigators will examine the tolerability of the program by
calculating the proportion of subjects who complete the program. The investigators will also
examine exercise-specific ratings of ease and utility to measure the acceptability of each
exercise. Finally, the investigators will evaluate the efficacy of PP training by comparing
subjects in the intervention and control groups on measures of positive affect, emotional
function, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and self-reported functional activities such
as work. If successful, this study will advance the use of PP as a low cost, innovative and
effective tool for increasing positive affect, decreasing depression and anxiety and
improving HRQOL in patients with MS.