Podcast Summary: Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

Episode: Developing Tailored Mental Health Support for People with MS with Eva Fragkiadaki
Date: February 11, 2026
Host: Geoff Allix (Overcoming MS)
Guest: Dr. Eva Fragkiadaki

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the development of personalized mental health support for people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Host Geoff Allix welcomes Dr. Eva Fragkiadaki, a counseling psychologist and academic specializing in psychological interventions for chronic illness, particularly MS. The discussion focuses on Eva’s research, her recent study on group therapy (MyMS Ally), the importance of tailored psychosocial support, the nuanced needs of diverse MS populations, and the future direction for mental health care in the MS community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dr. Eva Fragkiadaki’s Background and Approach

[02:20]

• Eva is a clinically trained counseling psychologist, researcher, and Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of England.
• Since 2016, her focus has been on developing and evaluating psychological interventions specifically for people with MS.
• Her work involves longitudinal and participatory research—meeting with people with MS over time to discuss experiences with psychological interventions and their impact on symptom management.

Quote:
"My thoughts and my sort of conceptualization was how can then psychotherapy and counseling help in the experience and in the management of MS symptoms?"
—Eva [03:21]

2. Recent Group Therapy Study: MyMS Ally

[04:38]

• The study integrated findings from prior observational research, literature on interventions (CBT, mindfulness, ACT), and practitioner consultations.
• The MyMS Ally online group intervention was co-designed with people living with MS.
• The feasibility and pilot study included five women with relapsing-remitting MS, using pre- and post-intervention interviews and questionnaires.

Key Findings:

• Change cannot be fully captured by depression and anxiety scales alone; concepts like identity, self-concept, and interpersonal processes are crucial.
• Initially, participants kept MS in the background; through the intervention, they began to integrate MS into their identities and communicate about it more openly.
• The process fostered a shift from self-judgement to compassion toward their MS.
• Experience differed between those with visible and invisible impairments.
• Change is highly individual due to the heterogeneity of MS.

Quote:
"We found that our participants started from a kind of a judgmental perspective towards their MS, but as they shared and as they relate to the other members of the group, they had a more of a compassionate attitude towards their MS."
—Eva [05:53]

3. Gender Balance and Inclusivity in Research

[08:01]

• Most mental health research in MS skews female, reflecting real-world prevalence.
• Eva notes a need for more proactive research targeting diverse groups for inclusivity and representation.

Quote:
"There is a lot of need and eagerness to participate from both genders... we need to really advocate for that everywhere. Including research."
—Eva [09:16]

4. Mental Health Support Approaches for MS

[10:06]

• Quantitative research supports effectiveness of interventions like CBT and mindfulness.
• Qualitative research reveals traditional interventions can be cognitively and physically burdensome for some with MS.
• Participants value flexible, personalized, and accessible interventions (especially online).
• Group interventions with a facilitator are found to be especially empowering, mainly due to the process of sharing and relating.

Quote:
"We found that process of sharing and relating was in a nurturing environment, help them feel quite empowered, help them feel reassured."
—Eva [11:46]

5. The Power of Peer Support and Group Dynamics

[13:50] & [14:25]

• Peer support roles and safe environments foster openness and empowerment.
• Facilitation is important, but the facilitator’s warmth and humanity was more impactful than clinical expertise alone.
• Narrative techniques—sharing personal MS stories—were pivotal.

Quote:
"As I said, for our participants, process was more important than content. And this kind of sharing within a group of people with MS, but in a kind of a safe environment was very, very impactful for them."
—Eva [15:57]

6. Differences from Traditional Group Therapy

[16:40]

• MyMS Ally is not a new therapeutic approach, but an integrative, eclectic model combining elements from CBT, mindfulness, ACT, and narrative therapy.
• The novelty lies in tailoring interventions to real-world needs/themes reported by MS patients.

Quote:
"It's not something new... but it's novel in the sense that it's an integrative model. And the themes do come from what people with MS have said in research that they found most helpful."
—Eva [17:15]

7. Visible vs. Invisible Disability in MS

[18:23]

• Experiences in the group were shaped by symptom visibility.
• Those with invisible symptoms were more likely to hide their MS, feel isolated, and experience more anxiety in group settings.
• Those with visible symptoms initially had more self-judgment but gained empowerment and compassion through sharing.

Quote:
"Women with more visible impairments... the more they managed to share those very, very difficult thoughts within the group, the more they managed to sort of feel more empowered and more reassured within the group."
—Eva [19:19]

8. The Importance of Self-Compassion

[20:27]

• Self-compassion and acceptance are vital in chronic illness, allowing people to integrate MS into their lives honestly and ask for support.
• Sharing and relating in groups foster self-care.

Quote:
"Sharing and relating really brought forward more self care for our participants. So I think that's a very important outcome... becoming more compassionate gives more authenticity and engaging into these activities and lives, incorporating their MS in it, rather than trying to keep it separate."
—Eva [21:07]

9. Behavioral and Lifestyle Changes

[22:23]

• The group process promoted discussion and possibly enactment of self-care and behavioral changes, though more research is needed.

10. Future Directions for Mental Health Care in MS

[23:08]

• Mental health interventions should be holistic, addressing mental, social, and physical factors together.
• Eva highlights “process-based therapy,” which tailors interventions based on thorough assessments of each person's context, needs, and preferences.
• Systemic barriers exist, but community-driven and inclusive approaches (such as Overcoming MS circles) are promising models.
• Additional training for professionals and amplifying the voices of people with chronic conditions is needed.

Quote:
"We need to start thinking about mental health support for MS in a more holistic way... there is a lot of structural and interpersonal barriers, especially within the NHS, but also beyond sometimes... we need to learn from these models and provide more training to professionals and provide more space for all of these voices to be heard and learn from them as we build those services."
—Eva [23:08, 24:48]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “It's really difficult to measure change just focusing on depression and anxiety scales.” —Eva [05:05]
• “Inclusion of different groups in research is obviously so important and for people to feel like they're represented.” —Host [09:36]
• “Narrative techniques... which means that members were encouraged to share their MS stories as a kind of exploring their identity as people with MS, which was very impactful.” —Eva [15:33]
• “For our participants, process was more important than content.” —Eva [15:57]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:20] – Introduction to Dr. Eva Fragkiadaki and her work in MS.
• [04:38] – Explanation of the MyMS Ally group therapy study and main findings.
• [08:01] – Discussion on gender inclusivity and representation in MS research.
• [10:06] – Overview of various mental health interventions and insights from participant experience.
• [13:50] – Peer support and application of research to community-based services.
• [14:25] – The power of facilitation, narrative sharing, and group process.
• [16:40] – Distinction between integrative models and traditional therapy.
• [18:23] – Differences in participant experience based on visible vs. invisible MS symptoms.
• [20:27] – The role and benefits of self-compassion in chronic illness.
• [23:08] – Aspirations for the future of accessible, holistic, and personalized mental health care for people with MS.

Closing Thoughts

The episode offers a hopeful and practical look at how mental health support for people with MS can be more effectively designed and delivered. Emphasizing community input, the power of group sharing, and personalized, holistic care, Dr. Fragkiadaki’s research sets a roadmap for a more inclusive and responsive mental health landscape for those living with MS.

For more resources, links, or to follow Dr. Eva Fragkiadaki’s work, visit the Overcoming MS website or check this episode’s show notes.