Prospective associations between illness perceptions and health outcomes in patients with systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-lagged analysis

Objective Perceptions of patients with SLE and SSc are strongly associated with physical and psychological outcomes. This interplay is not yet fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the prospective associations between illness perceptions and depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived health status and disease activity in SLE and SSc patients.