The development of emotional distress in 158 patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective 5-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development of emotional distress among patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to explore for early predictors of elevated distress over time.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 158 early RA patients (64% females) with mean age of 51.4 (SD = 12.7) years at disease onset. The patients were evaluated once a year for up to at least 4 years after baseline. Emotional distress was measured with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), disability with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), pain with a visual analogue scale (VAS), and disease activity by an active joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Questions concerning social support were also included.


RESULTS
Emotional distress decreased slowly for a majority of the patients. The change reached statistical significance in the third year from study start. A minority (12%) showed continuously high and increasing levels of distress. Measures of disease activity were poor predictors of distress. The best predictor of distress over time was distress at baseline. Other predictors were gender, age, civil status, and social support.


CONCLUSIONS
Emotional distress tended to decrease for most patients in this cohort, but a minority showed continuously high levels. Patients at higher risk of developing emotional distress over time had higher levels of distress at baseline, were younger, more often female, and cohabiting, and experienced less social support.
Persson
L O
LO
Department of Nursing, Göteborg University, Lund University Hospital, Sweden. lars.persson@fhs.gu.se
Larsson
B M
BM
Nived
K
K
Eberhardt
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology