On Life Satisfaction and Perceived Health in Chronically III Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to explore relationships between life satisfaction, experienced health and optimistic or pessimistic view of life in patients with chronic pain of inflammatory and non-inflammatory aetiology. The samples comprised 49 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) aged between 24–65 and 42 patients with non-inflammatory chronic pain (P) aged 19–64. For comparison, a reference group of 45 clinically healthy subjects was included (C). All subjects filled in an eight-item checklist on life satisfaction. A visual analogue scale was used for rating optimistic or pessimistic view of life. The results showed that half the patients in the RA group, but only 36% in the P group reported perceived good health despite having a disease or illness. A large number in all three groups, moreover, described themselves as optimists. There were no differences in level of life satisfaction among the three groups, although both patient groups reported significantly lower levels of satisfaction with ADL than the C group. The P group, furthermore, reported lower levels of satisfaction with vocational situation and contacts with friends than the C group. In the P group, significantly more optimists than pessimists reported that they were satisfied with life as a whole, while no such differences occurred in the RA and C groups. The fact that neither of the patient groups had lower levels of life satisfaction than the non-disabled group suggests that they have managed to cope well with their disease or illness.

Key Words:

• chronic pain
• life satisfaction
• rheumatoid arthritis