Exploring the working life of people with multiple sclerosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden

• Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to vast changes in working life and conditions in which we work. Thesechanges may affect people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) differently. We aimed to describe the working situation ofPwMS during the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic’s impact on their working lives.Methods All individuals aged 20–50 listed in the Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Registry were invited to participate inan online survey in 2021. Closed and open-ended responses linked to individual-level register data were used in this exploratory mixed-methods study. Differences in the proportions reporting specific impacts were assessed with chisquare tests by sex, MS severity, education, and profession. The open-ended answers were analysed through contentanalysis.Results Over 8500 PwMS were invited (52% response rate). We included the 3887 respondents who answered questions about the impact of the pandemic on working life. Most (93.7%) reported being in paid work. An impactof the ongoing pandemic to one’s daily occupation was reported by 26.2%, with different characteristics observedacross the impacts. Four categories of type of answers were identified from the open-ended answers: Direct impacton one’s occupation, Disclosing or concealing MS in the workplace, Worry and uncertainty, and Broader impact to lifesituation.Conclusions PwMS navigated the pandemic by interrupting as well as continuing their working lives. Many PwMSreported that the pandemic did not affect their work situation. However, the reported impacts differed among theparticipants and a sense of uncertainty and worry was often underlying their statements. Lessons from the pandemicmay support future work participation.Keywords SARS-CoV-2, Containment measures, W

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

SARS-CoV-2

Containment measures

Work

Employment

Occupation

Chronic disease

Remote work

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)