An analysis of the relationship between psychological morbidity and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

The hypothesis that the duration and activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) determine a patient's psychological state and adjustment was tested with a longitudinal research design using quantitative measures. A group of 30 patients with RA was examined on 2 occasions, 3 years apart. There were few significant relationships between duration of illness, disease severity and the psychological measures. A strong correlation occurred between disability and attitude to illness. Our data suggest that a patient's psychological state needs to be assessed as a variable, independent of physical impairment.