Coping with illness in rheumatoid arthritis
Schüssler, G.; Spiess, K.; Rüger, U.
Zeitschrift für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychoanalyse 34(3): 291-305
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0340-5613 PMID: 3213277 Document Number: 325561
Rheumatoid arthritis, a lifelong chronic disease, creates serious psychosocial as well as medical problems. We investigated coping with rheumatoid arthritis in 50 patient. The examination of coping-strategies used by R. A.-patients seems to show no fundamental difference to the coping behavior of patients with other chronic diseases. Biomedical conditions of the disease (Rheumafactor sero-positiv, sero-negativ) are related to different coping-strategies. Patient without psychiatric problems have a better medical health condition and, compared to depressive R. A.-patient prefer more active and optimistic coping. However, the context between psychological well-being and health (before the onset of R. A.), coping, adjustment to illness, and course of the illness is unclear.