Abstract:

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) disease, which is known to have negative psychological effects, on depression, anxiety, coping, and quality-of-life. Methods: In the study, 59 RA patients and 56 healthy individuals (control-group) were included. Sociodemographic data form, Beck Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Scale, COPE (coping) scale, and RA Quality-of-Life Questionnaire were used to collect data, and the groups were compared according to the results. Results: The RA patients were observed to have higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to the control group (p<0.001, all). The RA patients were found to have moderate depression and mild anxiety. The RA group had significantly lower problem-focused coping scores (p=0.002) compared to the control group. It was found that as the RA patients’ anxiety and pain levels increased, so did their level of depression. Moreover, as their depression, anxiety, and pain levels increased, their quality-of-life decreased. Conclusion: It was found that RA patients had higher depression and anxiety levels compared to the control group. It was observed that the RA patients’ level of depression increased with increasing anxiety and pain, while their quality of life decreased with increasing levels of depression, anxiety, and pain. We are of the opinion that psychiatric approaches can contribute to quality-of-life in patients with RA.

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