Anxiety and employment discrimination: Implications for counseling and return to work practice.

BACKGROUND: The most prevalent mental health diagnosis is anxiety disorder, which remains largely undertreated. OBJECTIVE: This investigation considered differences in workplace discrimination against adults with anxiety disorders during two eras of legal history: the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990-2008) and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA, 2009-present). METHOD: Research questions addressed differential (a) numbers and types of allegations, (b) case resolutions, and (c) demographic characteristics of the charging parties. RESULTS: Results indicated substantially more allegations and merit-based resolutions filed by charging parties with anxiety disorders post-ADAAA. Furthermore, the post-ADAAA era revealed increases in allegations from women and people from non-white racial groups. CONCLUSION: These findings can inform advocacy and counseling and rehabilitation services for clients who experience anxiety.

Personal, health and function, and career maintenance factors as determinants of quality of life among employed people with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an intrusive disease that significantly affects labor force participation. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the extent to which factors at the personal, health and function, and environmental/career maintenance levels contribute to the predictability power for quality of life among employed people with MS. METHOD: Participants consisted of 523 members of nine National Multiple Sclerosis Society chapters representing 21 states and Washington, DC. These individuals were employed at the time of the survey, and they were primarily middle age (average age of 48 years) and Caucasian (74%). RESULTS: The final hierarchical multiple regression model explained 54 percent of the variability in participants' quality of life scores, although none of the hypothesized personal/demographic predictors were significant. Participants who perceived better overall health and lower levels of stress, who experienced less severe cognitive and mobility-related MS symptoms, and who expressed stronger job-person matches and higher levels of job satisfaction reported higher quality of life scores than did other participants. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the complexity involved in predicting perceived quality of life among employed people with MS. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

The employment discrimination experiences of younger and older Americans with cancer under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

PURPOSE: The goal of the research was to describe discrimination, both actual and perceived, that has occurred against younger individuals with cancer (i.e., 35 years of age and under) in comparison with older individuals with cancer (i.e., over age 35) through analysis of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Integrated Mission System (IMS) database. METHODS: An ex post facto, causal comparative quantitative design was used to examine Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) Title I complaints received by the EEOC from younger people with cancer from 2009 through 2016 (n = 1001) in comparison with older people with cancer over the same time period (n = 8874). RESULTS: Results revealed statistically significant differences in the patterns of issues alleged by the two groups. When compared with older charging parties with cancer, the younger charging parties with cancer had proportionally more individuals who were male and who identified as African American and proportionally fewer individuals who identified as Caucasian. CONCLUSIONS: Younger people with cancer were more likely to allege discrimination in the areas of promotion, training, reinstatement, and referrals to other employers. They were less likely to allege discrimination in the area of benefits. The younger group was also significantly less likely than the older group to find that EEOC investigations of their allegations resulted in merit-based case resolutions, that is, discrimination had indeed occurred. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Psychosocial programs and vocational programming assisting young adults with career development should focus on the types of discrimination that young adults experience, which is unique compared with older adult cancer survivors.

The Workplace Discrimination Experiences of Individuals with Cancer in the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act Era.

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns in allegations of workplace discrimination filed by individuals with cancer. Objective The goal of the research was to describe discrimination, both actual and perceived, that has occurred against individuals with cancer in comparison to a group of individuals with other general disabilities (GENDIS) through analyses of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Integrated Mission System (IMS) database. Methods An ex post facto, causal comparative quantitative design was used to examine Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) Title I complaints received by the EEOC from people with cancer from 2009 through 2016 (n = 10,848) in comparison to the GENDIS group over the same time period (n = 13,338). Results Results revealed statistically significant differences in the patterns of issues alleged by the two groups. When compared to the GENDIS group, the cancer group was significantly older and had proportionally more individuals who identified as Asian than the GENDIS group. People with cancer were more likely to allege discrimination in the areas of unlawful discharge, demotion, wages, layoff, benefits, and referrals. They were less likely to allege discrimination in areas of reasonable accommodation, hiring, and suspension. Also, the cancer group was more likely than the GENDIS group to file allegations against smaller employers and employers in the Southeast region of the United States, while employers in the Mid-Atlantic and Rocky Mountain regions were less likely to be named in allegations by people with cancer. The cancer group was also significantly more likely than the GENDIS group to find that EEOC investigations of their allegations resulted in merit-based case resolution, that is, discrimination had indeed occurred. Owing to the large sample size, some of these between-group differences were small in magnitude. Conclusion The workplace discrimination experiences of people with cancer are substantially different from those of people with other disabilities.

The employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis: Perspectives from a national sample.

BACKGROUND: The recent rehabilitation literature does not include a thorough assessment of the employment concerns of people with MS. OBJECTIVE: This article presents descriptive findings from a national survey of the employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS; N = 1,924), representing nine chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. METHODS: Respondents were asked to evaluate 38 employment concerns items on two dimensions, importance and satisfaction, for the purpose of identifying strengths and weaknesses in the employment policies and practices affecting the labor force participation of people with MS. RESULTS: Results revealed a total of 32 employment strengths and six employment weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of a jobless rate of more than 60 percent, people with MS were satisfied with the majority of employment concerns. Implications of these findings for rehabilitation policy and service delivery are examined.

Patterns in workplace accommodations for people with multiple sclerosis to overcome cognitive and other disease-related limitations.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive symptoms and other functional limitations associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a significant negative impact on employment status. Work accommodations positively impact the ability of a person with MS to obtain and retain employment, however, current understanding of the role of accommodations in the careers of adults with MS is limited. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the percentage of American workers with MS who utilize workplace accommodations as per Title I of the ADA, the types of accommodations most frequently required, and differences in disease variables, job-related factors, and quality of life between workers using and not using work accommodations. METHODS: Data from 746 employed adult members of the National MS Society surveyed about career concerns were analyzed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used as appropriate to address the research questions. RESULTS: Approximately 25% reported having requested accommodations, and 87.7% reported receiving the requested accommodation. Participants with progressive MS, cognitive impairment, higher number of MS symptoms and greater symptom severity were more likely to use work accommodations. Participants with accommodations reported poorer job match and career optimism than those using no accommodations. CONCLUSION: This large-scale analysis addresses several outstanding questions concerning work accommodations among workers with MS. Cognitive symptoms and disease severity are strongly associated with need for accommodations, however accommodations do not appear to promote job satisfaction or longevity. The accommodation request process and the impact of accommodations on employment retention remain important research foci.