Quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study in patients living in northern Norway.
OBJECTIVE
To study quality of life parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the possible association of these parameters with disease activity.


METHODS
Fifty-two women with rheumatoid arthritis and 52 controls completed two self reporting psychiatric screening tests: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ - 30) and the Cantril Ladder scale. The number of psychiatric cases detected was not significantly higher for either group using the GHQ score S+ as the criterion.


RESULTS
Comparing the GHQ scores, patients showed a higher score compared with the controls (p = 0.02). The patients scored significantly higher on feelings of incompetance (p = 0.004), but not on the other subgroups of psychiatric factors. The patients reported lower life satisfaction on the Cantril self anchoring ladder (p = 0.0001). The functional capacity score was positively associated with the GHQ score. No association was detected between disease duration or the other disease activity parameters and either the GHQ score or the life satisfaction score.


CONCLUSIONS
This inconsistant relationship between clinical parameters and quality of life scores may be due to the fact that RA patients suffer from a chronic disease, or it may reflect an impaired psychosocial status in the patients. This study demonstrates that the increased psychological disturbances in women with RA is mainly explained by feelings of incompetance.
Bekkelund
S I
SI
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Tromsø, Norway.
Husby
G
G
Mellgren
S I
SI
D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires