Creating Satisfying Engagement in Daily Life Through Coaching for People With Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease that negatively impacts a person's ability to participate in a wide range of important and meaningful activities1-4. MS rehabilitation interventions often focus on reducing symptoms, with the assumption that fewer symptoms will lead to improved participation in daily activities5-8. Yet, literature shows that engagement in necessary and desired activities requires more than symptom reduction - it requires people with chronic diseases like MS to apply their knowledge and skills to a complex self-management process9-11 that balances personal values, and activity and environmental demands. Core self-management skills include self-monitoring, problem-solving, decision-making, goal setting, action planning, and the ability to adjust plans when necessary12. Looking beyond MS, coaching interventions have enabled people with stroke13-16, traumatic brain injury17, and Parkinson's disease18, 19 to develop self-management skills and achieve personally meaningful activity goals. Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC) is a well-developed form of coaching that builds competence in core self-management skills and improves participation in daily activities20, 21. The investigator's preliminary work indicates that OPC is an acceptable and feasible intervention for people with MS22. The investigators now must determine if OPC reduces the impact of MS on participation in daily activities and increases the satisfaction of people with MS in performance of personally important daily activities. Therefore, the investigators will conduct a waitlist-control randomized clinical trial (RCT) with 30 adults with MS to determine if receipt of six OPC sessions improves participants' satisfaction with performance in daily activities (primary outcome). The investigators will also examine whether OPC reduces illness intrusiveness (MS impact), improves resilience, and improves autonomy and participation (secondary outcomes).