The importance of enhancing self-efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine relationships among changes in self-efficacy and changes in other clinically relevant outcome measures.


METHODS
Subjects (n = 44) were participants in a prospective, randomized stress-management study followed over 15 months. Outcome measures included self-efficacy, depression, pain, health status, and disease activity.


RESULTS
Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between changes in self-efficacy (particularly total self-efficacy) and changes in selected measures of depression, pain, health status, and disease activity. The observed associations were not due to changes in medication regimen or to nonadherence to the stress-management program.


CONCLUSIONS
Evidence is provided that induced changes in self-efficacy following a stress-management program were significantly related to other clinically important outcome measures.
Smarr
K L
KL
University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, USA
Parker
J C
JC
Wright
G E
GE
Stucky-Ropp
R C
RC
Buckelew
S P
SP
Hoffman
R W
RW
O'Sullivan
F X
FX
Hewett
J E
JE
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D012648:Self Care; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*