Abstract
BACKGROUND: Many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are unemployed relatively soon after diagnosis. There is a paucity of research on the relationship between psychological distress and employment status in persons with MS. OBJECTIVE: To explore the relative distress of employed versus unemployed individuals with MS. METHODS: Secondary cross-sectional analysis of a mailed survey. Variables were categorized by demographics (age, gender, education, marital status), disease (EDSS, MS symptom duration, fatigue, MS-type), and psychosocial factors (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, self-reported general cognitive concerns, self-reported executive dysfunction). Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables significantly associated with employment status. All significant variables were then included in a multivariate model to identify the most salient correlates. RESULTS: Univariate analyses identified 10 variables that were significantly associated with employment status: age, education, EDSS, MS symptom duration, MS-type, depression symptoms, perceived stress, fatigue, and self-reported cognitive symptoms. The multivariate model yielded four demographic and disease-related variables and one emotional distress variable (older age, moderate disability [EDSS], longer symptom duration, MS-type, higher perceived stress) as significant. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for disease variables, demographics, and significant psychosocial factors, perceived stress remained associated with employment status, such that greater perceived stress was associated with being unemployed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 243-249 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Work |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
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Keywords
- emotional distress
- MS symptoms
- Occupational status
- productivity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rehabilitation
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Relationship of perceived stress and employment status in individuals with multiple sclerosis. / Beier, Meghan; Hartoonian, Narineh; D'Orio, Vanessa L.; Terrill, Alexandra L.; Bhattarai, Jagriti Jackie; Paisner, Noah D.; Alschuler, Kevin N.
In: Work, Vol. 62, No. 2, 01.01.2019, p. 243-249.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationship of perceived stress and employment status in individuals with multiple sclerosis
AU - Beier, Meghan
AU - Hartoonian, Narineh
AU - D'Orio, Vanessa L.
AU - Terrill, Alexandra L.
AU - Bhattarai, Jagriti Jackie
AU - Paisner, Noah D.
AU - Alschuler, Kevin N.
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are unemployed relatively soon after diagnosis. There is a paucity of research on the relationship between psychological distress and employment status in persons with MS. OBJECTIVE: To explore the relative distress of employed versus unemployed individuals with MS. METHODS: Secondary cross-sectional analysis of a mailed survey. Variables were categorized by demographics (age, gender, education, marital status), disease (EDSS, MS symptom duration, fatigue, MS-type), and psychosocial factors (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, self-reported general cognitive concerns, self-reported executive dysfunction). Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables significantly associated with employment status. All significant variables were then included in a multivariate model to identify the most salient correlates. RESULTS: Univariate analyses identified 10 variables that were significantly associated with employment status: age, education, EDSS, MS symptom duration, MS-type, depression symptoms, perceived stress, fatigue, and self-reported cognitive symptoms. The multivariate model yielded four demographic and disease-related variables and one emotional distress variable (older age, moderate disability [EDSS], longer symptom duration, MS-type, higher perceived stress) as significant. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for disease variables, demographics, and significant psychosocial factors, perceived stress remained associated with employment status, such that greater perceived stress was associated with being unemployed.
AB - BACKGROUND: Many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are unemployed relatively soon after diagnosis. There is a paucity of research on the relationship between psychological distress and employment status in persons with MS. OBJECTIVE: To explore the relative distress of employed versus unemployed individuals with MS. METHODS: Secondary cross-sectional analysis of a mailed survey. Variables were categorized by demographics (age, gender, education, marital status), disease (EDSS, MS symptom duration, fatigue, MS-type), and psychosocial factors (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, self-reported general cognitive concerns, self-reported executive dysfunction). Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables significantly associated with employment status. All significant variables were then included in a multivariate model to identify the most salient correlates. RESULTS: Univariate analyses identified 10 variables that were significantly associated with employment status: age, education, EDSS, MS symptom duration, MS-type, depression symptoms, perceived stress, fatigue, and self-reported cognitive symptoms. The multivariate model yielded four demographic and disease-related variables and one emotional distress variable (older age, moderate disability [EDSS], longer symptom duration, MS-type, higher perceived stress) as significant. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for disease variables, demographics, and significant psychosocial factors, perceived stress remained associated with employment status, such that greater perceived stress was associated with being unemployed.
KW - emotional distress
KW - MS symptoms
KW - Occupational status
KW - productivity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062418061&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85062418061&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3233/WOR-192859
DO - 10.3233/WOR-192859
M3 - Article
C2 - 30829635
AN - SCOPUS:85062418061
VL - 62
SP - 243
EP - 249
JO - Work
JF - Work
SN - 1051-9815
IS - 2
ER -