Explanatory Style in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Unrecognized Predictor of Mortality.
To determine whether pessimistic explanatory style altered the risk for and mortality of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).



The study included subjects from a population-based cohort with incident RA and a non-RA comparison cohort who completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.



Among 148 RA and 135 non-RA subjects, pessimism was associated with development of rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive RA. Pessimism was associated with an increased risk of mortality [HR 2.88 with similar magnitude to RF+ (HR 2.28)].



Pessimistic explanatory style was associated with an increased risk of developing RA and increased mortality rate in patients with RA.
From the Department of Health Sciences Research, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|A.D. Crowson, BA, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic; R.C. Colligan, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic; E.L. Matteson, MD, MPH, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; C.S. Crowson, MS, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
Aaron D
AD
Crowson
From the Department of Health Sciences Research, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|A.D. Crowson, BA, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic; R.C. Colligan, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic; E.L. Matteson, MD, MPH, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; C.S. Crowson, MS, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
Robert C
RC
Colligan
From the Department of Health Sciences Research, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|A.D. Crowson, BA, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic; R.C. Colligan, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic; E.L. Matteson, MD, MPH, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; C.S. Crowson, MS, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
Eric L
EL
Matteson
From the Department of Health Sciences Research, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|A.D. Crowson, BA, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic; R.C. Colligan, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic; E.L. Matteson, MD, MPH, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; C.S. Crowson, MS, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
John M
JM
Davis
From the Department of Health Sciences Research, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. crowson@mayo.edu.|A.D. Crowson, BA, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic; R.C. Colligan, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic; E.L. Matteson, MD, MPH, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic; C.S. Crowson, MS, Department of Health Sciences Research, and Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. crowson@mayo.edu.
Cynthia S
CS
Crowson
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D000067657:Pessimism / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY; MORTALITY; PESSIMISM; PSYCHOSOCIAL; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS