Work Difficulties in People with Multiple Sclerosis.
Michela Ponzio, Jessica Podda, Elena Pignattelli and 8 others
PMID 37921967WHAT IT FOUND
Among 340 people with MS, older age, southern residence, and higher disability were linked to unemployment; higher education and open-ended contracts were linked to staying employed.
In employed people, physical difficulties and fatigue were common.
Key findings
01In 340 analysed adults with MS, multivariate analysis linked older age, living in southern Italy or islands, and higher disability to higher unemployment risk, while higher education and an open-ended contract were linked to lower risk.
02Among 234 employed participants who completed the work questionnaire, physical health-related difficulties had a median score of 24.0 on the 0 to 100 MSQ-Job scale.
03Fatigue and clinically significant depression were independently associated with greater workplace-related work difficulties in the multivariate model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot show whether disability, fatigue, depression, or workplace factors caused unemployment or work difficulties. Participants were recruited online through MS Association social media channels, so people without internet access, older or disadvantaged people, or those too exhausted to complete a 15 to 20 minute questionnaire may be missing. The sample was self-selected and self-reported, and the MSQ-Job work difficulties analysis included only employed participants, so it does not describe difficulties in people who had already left work. Important variables were not measured, including treatment type and start, fear of relapse, perceived cognitive deficits, and coping style.
Declared interests
The supplied text states that the study was supported by the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL). It does not report additional author conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these links as proof that changing a contract or reducing disability will prevent unemployment. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot show cause.