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Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural Settings pp 505–517Cite as

Multiple Sclerosis Among Rural Residents: Treatment, Psychosocial Implications, and Vocational Implications

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Abstract

Individuals with MS face more medical and vocational needs and at a more variable rate than other disabilities. Although there exist a multitude of effective interventional strategies for individuals with MS, for those living in rural communities, options for treatment are scarce. In rural settings, these needs should be incorporated into a community culture to best meet the needs of persons with MS. There exist numerous barriers to receiving appropriate care for those with MS (e.g., lack of providers, transportation, geography), and without having the needs of an individual effectively addressed, employment, community participation, and quality of life will likely suffer. Individually, in rural cultures, a self-management philosophy toward illness and MS is the logical choice for the treatment and success of living with MS. For self-management to be an effective tool, individuals with MS need to have access to quality disease-related information in order to efficiently be able to both identify and evaluate the course of their illness.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Atlantic University, Department of Counselor Education, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Michael Frain

  2. University of Kentucky, EDSRC Department, Lexington, KY, USA

    Bradley W. McDaniels

  3. Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Malachy L. Bishop

Authors
  1. Michael Frain
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  2. Bradley W. McDaniels
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  3. Malachy L. Bishop
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Frain .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Early Childhood, Special, Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Debra A. Harley

  2. College of Health and Human Services, Rehabilitation Services and Rehabilitation Counseling, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA

    Noel A. Ysasi

  3. Department of Early Childhood, Special, Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Malachy L. Bishop

  4. Pennsylvania State University, Rehabilitation and Human Services, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Allison R. Fleming

Learning Exercises

Learning Exercises

  1. 1.

    Describe the common symptoms associated with MS that affect employment.

  2. 2.

    What are some challenges that need to be addressed along the continuum of seeking employment?

  3. 3.

    What are possible solutions to unavailable transportation?

  4. 4.

    What can rural communities do to attract adequate professionals?

Field-Based Experiential Assignments

  1. 1.

    Meet with or call a rehabilitation counselor who covers rural communities, and ask about their challenges in providing services to clients.

  2. 2.

    Talk with a specialty provider (e.g., neurologist, PT) to discover what they perceive to be the greatest barriers to employment for individuals with MS.

  3. 3.

    Look up a rural area and develop a list of providers who would be important for an individual with MS.

  4. 4.

    Attend a local MS support group to gain the perspective of the client.

Multiple Choice Questions

  1. 1.

    How many individuals are estimated to have MS in the worldwide?

    1. (a)

      5 million

    2. (b)

      2.3 million

    3. (c)

      3.2 million

    4. (d)

      1.7 million

  2. 2.

    What is the average age of MS onset?

    1. (a)

      30–40

    2. (b)

      50–60

    3. (c)

      20–30

    4. (d)

      No specific age because it varies greatly

  3. 3.

    Which of the following is positively associated with living in a rural community?

    1. (a)

      Transportation

    2. (b)

      Employment options

    3. (c)

      Access to health care

    4. (d)

      Social support

  4. 4.

    What is the reported average medication adherence rate for individuals with MS?

    1. (a)

      27%–41%

    2. (b)

      10%–21%

    3. (c)

      45%–60%

    4. (d)

      71%–83%

  5. 5.

    Individuals with MS are ______ in the public vocational rehabilitation system.

    1. (a)

      Overrepresented

    2. (b)

      Underrepresented

    3. (c)

      Normally distributed

    4. (d)

      Not typically served due to order of selection

  6. 6.

    Which of the following is not a perceived benefit of individual self-management?

    1. (a)

      Increased perceived control over illness

    2. (b)

      Decrease in hospitalizations

    3. (c)

      Increased quality of life

    4. (d)

      Improvement in employment outcomes

  7. 7.

    Of the unemployed individuals with MS, what percentage report they would like to return to work?

    1. (a)

      50%

    2. (b)

      75%

    3. (c)

      35%

    4. (d)

      90%

  8. 8.

    MS is the ___________ nontraumatic cause of nervous system disabilities in young adults.

    1. (a)

      Second leading

    2. (b)

      Third leading

    3. (c)

      Leading

    4. (d)

      Fourth leading

  9. 9.

    It has been estimated that within 10–15 years of an initial diagnosis of MS, approximately __________ of patients will experience some degree of impaired mobility.

    1. (a)

      50%

    2. (b)

      25%

    3. (c)

      100%

    4. (d)

      80%

  10. 10.

    What is MSSM?

    1. (a)

      Mobility and Social Security Measure

    2. (b)

      Multiple Sclerosis Stress Measure

    3. (c)

      Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management

    4. (d)

      Multiple Social Support Measure

Key

  1. 1.

    B

  2. 2.

    C

  3. 3.

    D

  4. 4.

    A

  5. 5.

    B

  6. 6.

    D

  7. 7.

    B

  8. 8.

    C

  9. 9.

    D

  10. 10.

    C

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Frain, M., McDaniels, B.W., Bishop, M.L. (2018). Multiple Sclerosis Among Rural Residents: Treatment, Psychosocial Implications, and Vocational Implications. In: Harley, D., Ysasi, N., Bishop, M., Fleming, A. (eds) Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural Settings. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64786-9_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64786-9_27

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-64786-9

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