74
Views
14
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

Depression and health-related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

&
Pages 645-653 | Published online: 09 Jan 2014
 

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal disease with a prevalence rate of 1–3% in Western countries. In addition to limited physical function, rheumatoid arthritis patients also suffer from psychologic comorbidities. Depression in rheumatoid arthritis patients has been linked to disease outcomes such as increased healthcare service utilization and poor adherence to medication. This review focuses on the impact of depression on rheumatoid arthritis patient’s quality of life and how quality of life can be improved through the management of depression. Both generic and disease-specific instruments have been used to assess health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis research. Commonly used instruments include the generic Short Form-36, the Nottingham Health Profile, the disease-specific Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life. Studies have shown that depression in rheumatoid arthritis patients may exert an important impact on multiple domains of health-related quality of life. Currently, depression in rheumatoid arthritis has been managed by both psychoeducation and antidepressant treatment. They are generally effective in improving clinical outcomes. However, future studies are needed to clarify whether they can improve patient reported quality of life. As depression is a prevalent comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis, clinicians should pay more attention to the rheumatoid arthritis patient’s psychologic wellbeing. Screening for depression and other psychologic distress should be recognized as an important process in the routine clinical care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.