None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Our team will develop and test an online forum, MS JobSeek, led by employed peers with multiple sclerosis and overseen by a health psychologist. The peers share their work experiences and help to motivate and encourage persons with MS to explore work and study options. This group coaching and mentoring is supplemented with educational material to help users better understand the current job market. To maximise reach and quality of access we will deliver this targeted support and mentoring via the internet. We will examine whether MS JobSeek is effective in supporting return-to-work progression for persons with relapsing remitting or progressive multiple sclerosis using a rigorous scientific study design. The findings will help to generate new evidence on how job-seekers with multiple sclerosis engage with, and respond to, peer mentoring. We also hope to provide a framework for how peer support services might be run and optimised in vocational care.
Interventions
The primary intervention will involve an online discussion forum monitored by peers with multiple sclerosis and overseen by a health psychologist. Participants will be required to login with a password to the discussion forum at least once per week for at least 5 minutes, over a 2-month period. They are not required to log in at the same time. The first time they log in they will be encouraged to introduce themselves to the discussion (community) forum. Peer mentors (volunteers with MS who are c
The primary intervention will involve an online discussion forum monitored by peers with multiple sclerosis and overseen by a health psychologist. Participants will be required to login with a password to the discussion forum at least once per week for at least 5 minutes, over a 2-month period. They are not required to log in at the same time. The first time they log in they will be encouraged to introduce themselves to the discussion (community) forum. Peer mentors (volunteers with MS who are currently employed) will post questions or topics of interest to the group, including examples from their own work experiences, in order to stimulate discussion. Both the moderator (health psychologist) and mentors will answer discussion threads. The moderator will also view forum activity and email those participants who fail to login for more than 1 week, encouraging them to join the discussion. In addition, intervention participants will be emailed a 7-module written information resource on enrollment (see list of modules, below). This resource, purposely developed and pilot tested by our team, covers basic job searching and career planning skills (see below). Each module includes hyperlinks to online resources (e.g. writing a resume, relevant government legislation and job search engines) which participants can access at their discretion. The modules are self-paced although should take no more than 20 minutes, each, to complete. Module Topics covered: 1 Introduction: Overview, including contact details for moderator 2 Job facts: Facts about employment, benefits of work, managing work barriers 3 Finding work: Researching potential employers, study options, disability employment services in Australia, maintaining psychological health 4 &5 Interviewing skills: Determining ‘job-fit’, cover letter and resumes, interview preparation; answering difficult interview questions, asking interview questions, interview follow-up 6 Maintaining work: Managing symptoms in the workplace, managing the work environment 7 Career development: Maintaining and developing work skills, finding a mentor
Sponsors
University of Adelaide
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Eligibility criteria include adults of working age with relapsing-remitting or progressive forms of multiple sclerosis who are currently unemployed and want to return to the workforce, residing in Australia, with English fluency and access to a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection.
Exclusion criteria
Those who are medically retired will be excluded, given the focus is on individuals who have the capacity to work. It is anticipated that people with major cognitive impairments will self-exclude because they are unlikely to access, or benefit from, the study materials.
Outcome results
None listed