title: Employment status in multiple sclerosis: impact of disease-specific and non-disease-specific factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with high rates of early retirement (ER).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A German cohort of MS patients and healthy control subjects (HCs) were compared cross-sectionally to investigate disease- and non-disease-specific factors that are associated with employment status (ES) in MS and to identify predictors of ES in MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 39 ER MS patients, 48 employed MS patients, and 37 HCs completed a brief neuropsychological battery and questionnaires related to depressive symptoms, fatigue, health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and health locus of control (HLC). Neurological disability was assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  ER compared with employed MS patients scored significantly higher in neurological disability, depressive symptoms and fatigue and significantly lower in cognitive functioning and HrQoL. Further, both groups differed with regard to age, education, disease course and duration but not in HLC. Neurological disability, age and fatigue were identified as significant predictors of ES in MS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ES in MS was associated with demographic aspects, neurological and cognitive status, depressive symptoms, fatigue and HrQoL but was not associated with HLC. Findings confirm neurological disability, age and fatigue as independent predictors of ES in MS.
authors: Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
authors: Ivonne
authors: I
authors: Krause
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Kern
authors: Antje
authors: A
authors: Horntrich
authors: Tjalf
authors: T
authors: Ziemssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; early retirement; employment status; health locus of control