Work

Safe to stay: A longitudinal evaluation of the sequential relationship between psychological safety, work self-efficacy, fatigue, and employment exit intentions of employees with multiple sclerosis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors are implicated in the decision to prematurely leave employment for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), beyond the impact of symptoms. We longitudinally tested the sequential relationship between psychological safety (PS), work self-efficacy (WSE), and the perceived impact of fatigue on work performance predicting employment exit intentions (EI). METHODS: Participants (n = 372) were surveyed at three time points over a four-year period (86% female; mean age 46 at T1) using latent variable structural equation modelling. RESULTS: PS at T1 was positively related to WSE at T2 (β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.29). WSE mediated the relationship between PS and EI (Indirect Effect (IE) = -0.03, 95% CI = -0.07 to -0.01). WSE and fatigue sequentially mediated the relationship between PS and EI (IE, -0.02, 95% CI = -0.05 to -0.01). Unexpectedly, PS directly reduced perceptions of fatigue decreasing EI. PS was directly related to EI at T3 independently of WSE and fatigue (β = -0.24, SE = 0.07, p < .01, 95% CI: -0.10 to -0.38). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that PS represents a supportive job resource that is critical in dealing with work-related demands, which helps explain why employees leave before medically assessed disability would indicate the need to. Over time, employees who experience a work environment characterised by PS also experience higher levels of WSE and reduced perceptions of work-related fatigue, which in turn reduces the risk of prematurely leaving employment. Interventions targeting these modifiable aspects of the workplace psychosocial climate are required.

Source: Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2026.107015

Authors: Andrea Kirk-Brown, Pieter Van Dijk, Brian Cooper, Ross Donohue, Ingrid van der Mei

Institutions: Monash University, University of Tasmania, Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Language: English

Topic: Disability Education and Employment

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,500