Validation of the French Adaptation of the MSWDQ-23 Questionnaire

MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects more than 120,000 people in France. The average age of onset of the disease is between 25 and 35 years. Given the wide range of ages of the patients, from 4 to 80 years, the ethical and socio-economic stakes are high in order to maintain their autonomy, sociability, family and intimate life, and their employment in the best possible conditions and for as long as possible.

However, to date, there are no evaluation tools in French that allow us to understand the difficulties at work of MS patients.

The Multiple Sclerosis Work Difficulties Questionnaire (MSWDQ-23) was developed specifically for MS patients and validated in English [1]. There is a short version of this questionnaire that facilitates its use in clinical practice [2]. It has been translated and validated in Spanish through a multicenter study, and is currently being validated in German, but does not currently exist in French [3]. The main objective of the WORKSEP project is to validate the French version of this questionnaire through a multicenter population-based cohort within the framework of the French-speaking Multiple Sclerosis Society (SFSEP). This validation study will involve the inclusion of 206 French-speaking MS patients, regardless of their professional status, all forms of MS combined, from the early stage (Clinically Isolated Syndrome) to the more advanced stages (primary and secondary progressive forms).