Employment Status, Productivity Loss, and Associated Factors Among People with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects people in their most productive years of life. Consequently, MS can substantially affect employment and work-related outcomes.

Objectives: This study characterizes productivity loss and employment status of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and investigates associated factors.

Methods: We used baseline data collected as part of the Canadian Prospective Cohort Study to Understand Progression in Multiple Sclerosis (CanProCo). Using the Valuation of Lost Productivity questionnaire, we measured MS-related paid work productivity loss for those employed, productivity losses incurred by those unemployed (i.e. lost employment time), and unpaid work productivity losses for all. A set of sociodemographic, disease, and performance-related factors were investigated using a two-part regression model for productivity loss and a multinomial logistic model for employment status.

Results: From the cohort of 888 pwMS enrolled at baseline (mostly showing mild to moderate disability), 75% were employed, and of those unemployed, 69% attributed their unemployment to health-related issues. Total productivity loss over a 3-month period averaged 64 and 395 hours for those employed and unemployed, respectively. Some factors that affected productivity loss and employment status included use of disease-modifying therapies, fatigue, and performance indicators such as cognitive processing speed.

Conclusion: Productivity loss experienced by employed and unemployed pwMS is substantial. Targeting the identified modifiable factors is likely to improve work productivity and permanence of MS patients in the workforce.