Juvenile chronic arthritis: a biobehavioral disease. Some unsolved questions.

This review presents a multidimensional biopsychosocial model suitable for evaluating medical and psychosocial empirical findings in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). The possible predisposing, provoking and modifying variables that have been assessed in studies of JCA are presented, together with suggestions for further research. The model is appropriate for structuring and validating data in future longitudinal studies and may also serve as a frame of reference for a multi-professional team approach in the care of rheumatic children and their families.