Content area
Full text
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are known to face a multitude of challenges in the workplace and when seeking employment. Less has been written, however, about the subjective experiences of people with MS regarding their workforce participation. This study used phone-administered focus groups to investigate work-related experiences of a national sample of individuals with MS. Using a conventional qualitative content analysis approach, the researchers derived a set of three core themes, each with subordinate sub-themes. The three core themes were: (a) facing future uncertainty, (b) feeling a sense of loss, and (c) navigating the workplace. Findings are discussed within the context of existing literature.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease characterized by cycles of relapses and remissions, although some people experience a steadily progressive course marked by a gradual decline in general health and functioning over time (Falvo, 2014). The pattern of relapses, remissions, and progression of symptoms varies widely among and even within individuals. Fifty percent of MS diagnoses occur before the person's 30th birthday and 75% before age 40 (Kalb, 2012). More than 2.3 million people in the world are estimated to have MS, with approximately 450,000 of these individuals living in the United States (National Multiple Sclerosis Society [NMSS], 2015). In the U.S., the national incidence rate of new MS cases has increased steadily over the past 50 years (NMSS, 2015).
MS is more common among women than it is among men, with approximately three-quarters of people with MS worldwide being women (NMSS, 2015). MS is also much more common among Caucasians of European lineage than it is among other racial and ethnic groups. Relatedly, the highest prevalence rates for MS are observed in temperate regions of the globe, with much lower prevalence rates reported in warmer and tropical regions. In the U.S., two-thirds of people with MS reside in the northernmost 50% of the populace (NMSS, 2015).
MS Symptoms
People with MS may experience a wide range of physiological symptoms including fatigue, mobility problems, spasticity, numbness and tingling in the extremities, tremor, diminished strength and coordination, chronic pain, hypersensitivity to heat, visual impairments, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction, all of which contribute to the problems that adults with MS have in acquiring and maintaining employment...