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Summary
The idea that emotional factors may play a role in diseases of the joints was first put forward in 1842, but it was the 1930s before the first experimental studies were conducted. In the last 50 years, a vast literature has accumulated, principally concerned with rheumatoid arthritis. Three major sets of hypotheses have been investigated: (i) there is a rheumatoid arthritic personality which in some way predisposes to the illness, (ii) the onset of rheumatoid arthritis is associated with certain life experiences and/or psychological states, and (iii) psychological factors influence the course of rheumatoid arthritis or its response to treatment and management regimens. Recent studies, including the author's own work, are reviewed and the present state of knowledge is summarized.