The Interaction of Physical Function and Emotional Well-being in Rheumatoid Arthritis—What is the Impact on Disease Activity and Coping?

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of the interaction of physical function and emotional well-being on disease-related parameters and coping with rheumatoid arthritis.MethodsA cross-sectional survey among 177 RA patients included demographic and disease-related variables as well as the following patient-reported outcome measures: Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) (physical function), Mental Component Summary Scale of the SF-36 (MCSS) for emotional well-being, Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index (RADAI), and Coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis Questionnaire (C-RAQ). Based on HAQ-DI and MCSS, six categories representing various levels of physical and emotional impairment were formed. Multivariate analysis of variance and a subsequent discriminant analysis were used to evaluate whether demographic and disease-related variables and coping strategies differed between these categories.ResultsPatients with moderate to high impairment of physical function and emotional well-being reported significantly higher disease activity and a more frequent use of distancing and active problem solving coping strategies than patients with low-level impairment (p<0.001–0.043). Furthermore, these patients reported experiencing significantly higher levels of helplessness (p<0.001–0.032). Results from the discriminant analysis highlighted a combination of disease activity and helplessness to differentiate best between patients with either low or high impairment of physical function and emotional well-being (p<0.001).ConclusionAside from perceived disease activity, helplessness, and distancing as well as active problem solving allowed for a good discrimination between the different levels of impairment of physical function and emotional well-being. Encouraging and educating patients on how to cognitively reframe their current situation might play a key role in reducing the level of helplessness resulting from impairments of physical function and emotional well-being.