title: Patients' perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships: a comparison with Wegener's granulomatosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the patients' perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  114 patients with SLE, and 79 patients with WG completed a self-administered questionnaire. Patients had been diagnosed with SLE or WG for a median period of 10 and 5 years, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients experienced substantial functional morbidity. Two-thirds of the patients with SLE or WG reported either a periodic or permanent inability to perform daily activities at home and/or at work. Furthermore, SLE as well as WG had a considerable impact upon the psychological and social life, affecting their happiness and altering relationships.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that SLE and WG are associated with substantial medical morbidity resulting in physical and occupational disability. SLE has a profound impact on patients' lives, similar to that experienced in patients with WG.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. m.m.boomsma@int.azg.nl
authors.forename: Maarten M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Boomsma
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bijl
authors.forename: Coen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stegeman
authors.forename: Cees G M
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kallenberg
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Jan Willem Cohen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tervaert
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires