THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL-PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS

Twenty-nine children with juvenile chronic arthritis, aged from 7 to 1 6 yr were studied using the Juvenile Arthritis Functional Assessment R eport for Children and Parents questionnaires (JAFAR-C and JAFAR-P). T he results showed that JAFAR-C and JAFAR-P were highly correlated (P < 0.001) with each other and also with a predicted JAFAR score (P < 0.0 5). The JAFAR score correlated with the arthritic joint count at the t ime of the study (P < 0.01), Steinbrocker classification (P < 0.001), pain score (P < 0.01) and stiffness score (P < 0.005). Evidence of psy chological dysfunction was found in eight of the 29 children (27%). Si x children (21%) scored 13 or more on the Rutter A(2) for parents and one patient scored more than nine on the Rutter B(2) for teachers. Onl y one child had a score on the Birleson self-rating scale that was hig h enough to suggest a likely diagnosis of depression. The median Lipsi tt self-concept scale score was 86, that expected for a healthy popula tion. There was no correlation between the psychological scores and an y of the other functional measurements, although the numbers affected were small. There was no significant difference between type of arthri tis at onset with regard to any of the scores obtained.