The relationship of self-management and disease modifying therapy use to employment status among adults with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may face numerous barriers to employment retention. Comprehensively understanding these barriers is important for implementing effective vocational rehabilitation interventions. Although several demographic and MS-related variables have consistently been found to be related to employment status, self-management and adherence to treatment have infrequently been evaluated in this context. This article explores the relationships between employment status and the use of disease-modifying therapy and self-management among a community-based sample of adults with MS using both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Group comparisons between employed and unemployed adults with MS suggested that both self-management and DMT use are significantly related to employment. In a stepwise binary logistic regression analysis, age, duration in years diagnosed with MS, and scores on a multi-dimensional MS self-management scale were positively related to employment. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for rehabilitation intervention.