Psychoremediation of Communication Skills for Cognitively Impaired Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Cognitive impairments and emotional distress significantly interfere with the ability of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) to communicate effectively with family members, friends, employers, and health care providers. This paper describes a step-by-step cognitive-behavioral approach to the treatment of communication skills deficits in cognitively impaired persons with MS. Cognitive problems encountered in MS are discussed in terms of their impact on fundamental elements of communication, including accurate listening, capacity for empathy, making requests of others, making compromises, and giving others feedback about the impact of their behavior. Rehabilitation of these aspects of communication is discussed.