RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-RATED FUNCTIONAL STATUS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Background: To assess relationship between psychosocial factors and se lf-rated functioning in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: In 66 RA p atients (mean age+/-SD = 50.8+/-12.6 years, women 49 (74%), illness du ration mean+/-SD = 13.4+/-10.5 years) aspects of developmental psychos ocial stress thought to influence human behavior were assessed in an i n depth interview using structured biographical history. Furthermore e valuation included Trait anxiety, global functional status according t o the ACR criteria, radiological staging of illness and patients' self -ratings of functioning obtained by the Health Assessment Questionnair e (HAQ). Bivariate correlations were performed using psychosocial and somatic factors and self-rated functional status. Results: Scores of d evelopmental psychosocial stress significantly correlated with intervi ewers scoring of nurture (r = -0.722, p < 0.001) indicating good inter nal consistency of interview data. Significant correlations were found between patients' scoring of functional status (HAQ) and (i) ACR crit eria (r = 0.490, p <0.0001) and (ii) score of Trait anxiety (r = 0.367 , p <0.003). There was no significant correlation between developmenta l psychosocial stress and HAQ score. Conclusion: Developmental psychos ocial stress does not significantly contribute as to how RA patients p erceive their functional ability. In a proportion of RA patients self- rated functional status may depend on the patients disposition (e.g. n euroticism) probably promoting impaired illness behavior (e.g, regress ive tendencies) which should be considered in assessing treatment proc edures.