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Pain, Depression and Arthritis
An individual was diagnosed as having RA several years ago. This individual always loved working in her garden even with RA. This spring, the individual just didn't have the energy or the interest to work in the garden. An appointment was made with her rheumatologist. After listening to the patient describe her symptoms the rheumatologist conjectured that the patient could be suffering from depression. Why did the physician make the connection to depression?
Answer: There have been several studies in peer reviewed journals which have investigated the relationship between arthritis, pain, and depression. Since physicians read these journals they keep current on information pertaining to their specialties.
There have been several clinical trials conducted in recent years which were designed to investigate how rheumatoid arthritis, pain, and depression are related. An additional factor which is involved is the subject's ability to cope with his/her problem. Some of the studies address the development of coping skills for the subject. Do better coping skills result in a better outcome relative to the disease? These types of issues and questions have been investigated in these clinical trials.
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