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The SEMS Project: Staying Employed With MS

East Hanover, NJ
N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Lauren Strober
Research Sponsored by Kessler Foundation
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
* diagnosed with MS based on McDonald Criteria
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up baseline, immediate post-intervention, 3 month post-intervention
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

Description of Project: Multiple sclerosis (MS), a disorder of young and middle aged adults, is known to have a grave impact on one's well-being and incurs a significant cost to society due to the nearly 80% rate of unemployment. Over the past few decades, research has focused on increasing our understanding of the factors that lead to these high rates of unemployment in MS and ways to mitigate such factors. However, the majority of investigations examining the causes of unemployment in MS have been retrospective and limited their focus to factors such as demographics, disease severity and symptoms of MS (e.g., fatigue), and/ or work place features and accommodations. Few have examined the more intrinsic, or person-specific factors (e.g., personality, coping, health-related behaviors), which are also likely to significantly contribute to rates of unemployment in MS. In fact, these investigators have shown that personality characteristics, anxiety, depression, coping, and self-efficacy differ between individuals who are considering leaving the workforce and those staying employed; even in the presence of comparable demographics and disease variables. Based on these findings, and the knowledge that fatigue and cognition also greatly contribute to this decision, these investigators have proposed a comprehensive intervention that will target both the disease and person-specific factors in hope of assisting individuals with MS maintain their employment; the ultimate goal being to improve the overall quality of life and health of individuals with MS. The proposed modular intervention will be tailored to the individual based on a preliminary assessment and consist of cognitive rehabilitation, fatigue and symptom management, wellness intervention, psychological intervention, and occupational rehabilitation. Outcomes will be assessed following such intervention with the goal being either job maintenance or comparable life activities that will ensure continuity of purpose and satisfaction in life, health and health maintenance, and overall well-being.

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Eligible Conditions
  • Multiple Sclerosis

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
* diagnosed with MS based on McDonald Criteria

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~baseline, immediate post-intervention, 3 month post-intervention
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and baseline, immediate post-intervention, 3 month post-intervention for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in Work Commitment
Change in adjustment to MS
Change in self-efficacy
Secondary study objectives
Change in anxiety
Change in mood
Change in psychological well-being
+1 more

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Wait List ControlExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Individuals in the wait list control arm will serve as controls for the first intervention group, but will receive the treatment following their three month assessment. The intervention following the waitlist control will be a comprehensive modular intervention consisting of wellness, fatigue management, cognitive remediation and psychological treatment. Treatment will consist of a total of 12 weeks.
Group II: SEMS ProjectExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
A comprehensive modular intervention consisting of wellness, fatigue management, cognitive remediation and psychological treatment. Treatment will consist of a total of 12 weeks.

Find a Location

Closest Location:Kessler Foundation· East Hanover, NJ· 459 miles

Who is running the clinical trial?

Kessler FoundationLead Sponsor
187 Previous Clinical Trials
11,180 Total Patients Enrolled
33 Trials studying Multiple Sclerosis
1,641 Patients Enrolled for Multiple Sclerosis
Lauren StroberPrincipal InvestigatorKessler Foundation
~2 spots leftby Mar 2026