Enabling university teaching for Canadian academics with multiple sclerosis through problem-focused coping.

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Neurorehabilitation
• Higher education studies

Background:

• Sustained employment is linked to improved quality of life for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Occupational therapists play a crucial role in developing interventions to support employment retention for people with MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe problem-focused coping strategies used by academics with MS.
• To understand how these strategies facilitate continued teaching in university settings.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 Canadian academics diagnosed with MS.
• Employed thematic analysis to analyze interview data and identify key coping strategies.

Main Results:

• Teaching tasks present unique inflexibility challenges for academics with MS compared to research or service roles.
• Academics developed and utilized three main categories of problem-focused coping strategies: organizational, pre/post-teaching adjustments, and in-class adaptations.
• These strategies were essential for enabling academics to continue their teaching responsibilities.

Conclusions:

• This study provides valuable insights for occupational therapists and other professionals supporting academics with MS.
• Understanding these coping mechanisms can inform the development of targeted therapeutic interventions to enhance employment sustainability and quality of life for this population.