Preliminary Support of a Behavioral Intervention for Trait Conscientiousness in Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Conscientiousness, a personality trait, often declines in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• This decline predicts cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and job loss in individuals with MS.
• Addressing conscientiousness may offer a way to mitigate these negative outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a smartphone application-facilitated behavioral intervention for low conscientiousness in MS.
• To assess the intervention's impact on employment and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week randomized controlled trial involving 11 individuals with MS and low conscientiousness.
• The treatment group received a behavioral intervention app, booster sessions, and monitoring.
• The control group received no intervention.

Main Results:

• The treatment group reported significant improvements in work outcomes compared to controls (P = .028).
• All treatment participants found the app beneficial, easy to use, and recommendable.
• Participants described positive changes in quality of life beyond employment.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral therapy can effectively address low conscientiousness in the MS population.
• The app-facilitated intervention shows potential for improving employment and quality of life.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings.