Relationship between psychological factors and arthralgia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Various factors were assessed in terms of their contribution to arthralgia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient. Eighty-two outpatients (62 women and 20 men) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined with respect to the subjective degree of arthralgia, age, disease duration, dysfunction, steroid dose, steroid period, depression, anxiety, extroversion, neurotic disorder, and number of caretakers. The results were explained on the basis of stepwise regression analysis and psychological and clinical data. We analyzed results of a correlation coefficient test on the mutual relationship between variables. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to assess factors of arthralgia in terms of "depression," "mean activity," "morning stiffness," and "steroid dose." Depression is a factor of arthralgia as shown in this study, but it is clear that other factors are also involved. Anxiety was a factor distinct from the activity of RA. The factor contributing most to arthralgia was found to be depression, whereas anxiety had no effect.