Depression and reactivity to stress in older women with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of depressive symptoms in reactivity to stress and pain in older women with rheumatoid ar thritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Participants were 188 older women with RA (N = 87) and OA (N = 101). They were initially assessed for d epressive symptoms and interviewed weekly for 12 to 20 weeks regarding inte rpersonal stress, arthritis pain, and negative affect. Results: Hierarchica l linear modeling (HLM) revealed that depressive symptoms were related to w eekly elevations in arthritis pain, negative events, perceived stress, and negative affect for RA respondents and elevations in arthritis pain and neg ative affect for OA respondents. HLM analyses also indicated that depressiv e symptoms were related to increased reactivity to perceived stress and art hritis pain in people with RA, but not these with OA. Conclusions: Depressi on may be related to elevations in pain for people with RA and OA and to el evations in stress and increased reactivity to stress and pain for those wi th RA.