title: Coping strategies and depressiveness in primary systemic vasculitis--what is their impact on health-related quality of life?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of disease-related coping strategies and depressiveness on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in primary systemic vasculitis (PSV) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-two patients with definite diagnosis of PSV were examined in a cross-sectional study. HRQOL (SF-36), depressiveness (BDI), illness perception (B-IPQ) and coping strategies (FKV-LIS) were measured using validated instruments. Additional disease-related and demographic data were retrieved from the patients' records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HRQOL in PSV patients was reduced compared with the SF-36 norm sample. Specific organ manifestation, size of vessel involvement and disease activity were not related to HRQOL. Linear regression modelling revealed a questionable relationship of emotional to physical HRQOL (P = 0.003, potential suppression effect of BDI), whereas both domains were influenced by depressiveness (P ≤ 0.001). Physical HRQOL was additionally related to fatigue and widowed marital status, while emotional HRQOL was associated with a depressive coping style.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQOL is impaired in PSV as compared with the general population. Current depressiveness strongly affects physical as well as mental HRQOL. Cognitive intervention strategies should be established in order to improve quality of life in PSV patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 3 and Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Krankenhausstrasse 12, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. jochen.zwerina@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brezinova
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Englbrecht
authors.forename: Svjetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lovric
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sämann
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schett
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haubitz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwerina
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D056647:Systemic Vasculitis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: coping; illness perception; primary systemic vasculitis; quality of life