The Influence of Pain, Weakness and Rheumatoid Factor Status on Depression Incidence Among Iranian Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.
BACKGROUND
Increased prevalence of depression among patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been described previously. However, the impact of depression among Iranian patients has not yet been investigated.


OBJECTIVE
Here, the prevalence of depression was assessed and the effect of disease-related characteristics including pain, weakness and rheumatoid factor (RF) status on incidence of depression was evaluated.


METHODS
Patients with RA, who were referred to rheumatology clinics of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and healthy subjects from the general population of Kermanshah participated in this investigation. Depression was assessed using Beck's depression inventory II (BDI II). Pain and weakness were assessed subjectively by patients' self-report. Data was collected during a year between 2012 and 2013. Chi-square test and independent t-test were used.


RESULTS
One hundred and seventy-one patients with RA and 198 healthy individuals participated in this investigation. In the RA group, depressive mood was detected in 45.7% of patients, which was significantly higher than healthy subjects (P = 0.008). Depression was more common in elderly patients (> 50 years old) in comparison with healthy subjects at a similar age (P = 0.03). Pain and weakness had no influence on depression incidence (P = 0.14 and 0.19, respectively) whereas patients with negative RF status were significantly more susceptible to severe depression (P: 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Depression is more common among Iranian patients with RA (45%) than healthy subjects regardless of gender. Depression has a significant association with older age. Negative RF status may predict future risk of depression.
Social Behavior Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Farid
F
Arman
Social Behavior Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Hania
H
Shakeri
Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Fatemeh
F
Jalilian
Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Ehteram
E
Ebrahimi
Social Behavior Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Jalal
J
Shakeri
Social Behavior Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Vahid
V
Farnia
Depression; Pain; Prevalence; Rheumatoid Arthritis; Weakness