PSYCHOSOCIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Objective. To delineate psychosocial and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related medicalfactors that contribute to the mental and physica l health of SLE patients. Methods. In a cross-sectional study, 44 wome n completed standardized instruments assessing daily hassles, social s upport, psychologic distress, and quality of life and underwent a phys ician examination to assess disease activity and disease damage. Four multiple linear regression analyses were computed to identify factors associated with the following outcomes: patient-perceived psychologic distress and global physical health and physician-assessed disease act ivity and damage. Variables entered into the regression analyses were: hassles severity, types of social support, SLE disease activity and d amage, age, disease duration, education, ethnicity, and global psychol ogic distress (for the outcomes of self-perceived global physical heal th and disease activity and damage).Results. The best model explaining global psychologic distress included hassles severity and self-esteem social support. The best model explaining patients' perceptions of th eir global physical health included hassles severity and tangible soci al support. Psychologic distress accounted for a significant proportio n of variance in both disease activity and damage. Conclusion. High st ress (assessed by hassles severity), poor social support, and psycholo gic distress-potentially modifiable variables-are associated with the mental and physical health of SLE patients.