The employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis: Perspectives from a national sample.

BACKGROUND The recent rehabilitation literature does not include a thorough assessment of the employment concerns of people with MS. OBJECTIVE This article presents descriptive findings from a national survey of the employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS; N = 1,924), representing nine chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. METHODS Respondents were asked to evaluate 38 employment concerns items on two dimensions, importance and satisfaction, for the purpose of identifying strengths and weaknesses in the employment policies and practices affecting the labor force participation of people with MS. RESULTS Results revealed a total of 32 employment strengths and six employment weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS In spite of a jobless rate of more than 60 percent, people with MS were satisfied with the majority of employment concerns. Implications of these findings for rehabilitation policy and service delivery are examined.