Toward the Search for Clinical and Cognitive Variables that Affect Employment in LATAM: a Multicenter Study.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Occupational Health
• Socioeconomics

Background:

• Rising unemployment and poor working conditions for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in Latin America (LATAM) prompted the Quality-of-Life working group.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) significantly impacts employment, with a work-loss rate nearly three times higher than the general unemployment rate in LATAM.

Purpose of the Study:

• Describe occupational outcomes and employment status among PwMS in LATAM.
• Investigate the relationship between disability levels and employment status (ES).
• Quantify accommodation use and identify predictors of job accommodations.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 86 PwMS across five LATAM countries.
• Administered cognitive (BVMS, BICAMS), neuropsychological, depression (BDI-II), and fatigue (FSS) assessments.
• Collected socioeconomic status (SES) data and employment status information.

Main Results:

• 54.6% of PwMS were work-stable, 20.9% work-challenged, and 24.4% work-loss.
• Lower physical and cognitive disability levels correlated with stable employment.
• Job accommodations were predicted by self-awareness of cognitive impairment, higher SES, education, and physical disability.

Conclusions:

• Physical and neuropsychological disability increase the risk of work loss for PwMS.
• Self-awareness, SES, education, and physical disability are key factors in utilizing job accommodations.
• MS poses a substantial barrier to employment in LATAM, highlighting the need for targeted support and accommodations.