Why the study?
Do disease activity, pain, and helplessness predict future psychological and physical disability in males with rheumatoid arthritis?
Do disease activity, pain, and helplessness predict future psychological and physical disability in males with rheumatoid arthritis?
Pain and helplessness are key biopsychosocial variables that mediate the relationship between disease activity and the development of disability in rheumatoid arthritis.
Pain and helplessness may mediate RA disability; hypothesis-generating for biopsychosocial interventions, prospective trials needed.
OBJECTIVE: To test and cross-validate a model using disease activity, pain, and helplessness to predict future psychological and physical disability in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) across time. METHODS: Measures of disease activity, pain, helplessness, psychological function, and physical function were collected from 63 males with RA at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Path analytic methods were used to examine longitudinal relationships among these variables. RESULTS: Path analysis revealed that pain and helplessness were significant mediators of the relationship between disease activity and future disability in RA; the predictive model withstood two cross-validations. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that pain and helplessness are key biopsychosocial variables that affect the development of disability in RA.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Schoenfeld-Smith et al. (1996) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 4 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: