A Prospective Evaluation of the Effects of Prevalent Depressive Symptoms on Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated With Biologic Response Modifiers

Poorer treatment outcomes among RA patients with depressive symptoms may be a result of higher baseline disease severity. Adjusted estimates indicated symptoms of depression only affected remission at 6 months' follow-up through patient and physician global assessments. Thus, any impact of depressive symptoms during biologic treatment might not be due to a definitive impact on joint swelling and tenderness.