Do cognitive processes predict mental health in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis?

The purpose of the present study was to assess the hypothesis that intellec tual functioning affects the mental health of individuals with rheumatoid a rthritis. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to assess the r elative contributions of age, education, intellectual functioning, self-eff icacy, and pain to mental health. It was hypothesized that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis who had higher intellectual functioning and higher se lf-efficacy would report better mental health than those with lower intelle ctual functioning and self-efficacy. One hundred twenty-one adults aged 34 to 84 with rheumatoid arthritis completed a battery of cognitive tasks, and multiple measures of self-efficacy, pain, and mental health, twice in 1 mo nth. The data provided a good fit to the hypothesized model. Intellectual f unctioning was directly related to mental health and, also, indirectly rela ted to mental health through self-efficacy and pain. Older individuals who performed poorly on cognitive tasks reported less self-efficacy, more pain, and poorer mental health than those individuals who performed well on cogn itive tasks.