Mental Health Series Part 1: Connecting the Dots Between Arthritis and Mental Health

When an illness causes physical symptoms, patients and healthcare professionals alike often focus on what can be seen and measured. Psychological symptoms are less visible to the eye, but just as important as the physical effects. 

With emerging perspectives and innovative research, we are learning more about how 1. Arthritis can affect mental health and 2. How mental health can cause or relieve physical pain that arthritis patients face. 

The most common symptoms that arthritis patients experience are physical pain in their bones and joints. Some of these include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. Often, these symptoms prevent those suffering from arthritis from performing their regular daily routines. The visible challenges that the disease causes have overshadowed the effect that the disease can have on a patient’s mental health. 

A 2019 study conducted by the Arthritis Foundation examined how the physical symptoms of arthritis affect the quality of life and the mental health of patients. Based on responses from over 18,000 arthritis patients, the study results show that the majority of people suffering from arthritis also struggle with mental health issues. 

Impact of Arthritis on Daily Life 

The majority of patients reported that they experience pain at a level that cannot be ignored but can still manage to work and participate in some social activities. Daily tasks such as walking without difficulty, getting a good night’s sleep, and feeling energized all were reported to be difficult for the majority of respondents to do. 

• 72% reported having trouble doing all usual work

• 67% reported having trouble doing all the family activities they want to do

Where Does Mental Health Come In?

Although the effects of arthritis listed above seem to be physical challenges for arthritis patients, a deeper look into the patients’ lives revealed that these challenges are affecting them mentally, too. 

In fact, the majority of respondents indicated that they suffer from emotional and mental distress. 

• 2 out of 3 respondents said they felt depressed during the past seven days

• 2 out of 3 respondents said they felt anxiety or fear during the past seven days  

This connection between physical pain and mental health was further explored in a 2020 study published in Annals of Joint. This study found that the low quality of life that arthritis patients face due to their pain may cause negative emotions like anxiety, depression, and anger. 

The study further explored the effect that these emotions can have on a patient’s surgical outcome and postoperative quality of life. Results showed that psychological distress and depression result in worse physical symptoms and are likely to cause worse pain before and after surgery. It revealed that a patient’s mental health before the surgery actually determined their pain level and the length of time it would last. 

Anxiety, fear of pain, depressive mood, and catastrophizing were all found to increase both short-term post-surgical pain and chronic pain. The presence of these psychological variables led to less desirable surgical outcomes, extended healing process, and worse postoperative pain and disability while optimism in patients reported better surgical outcomes and less reported pain.

What Does This All Mean?

There is a clear connection between physical and mental health, especially in arthritis patients. The physical pain from arthritis contributes to poorer mental health, which then leads to more physical pain and decreased healing.

To address this cycle of pain and treat arthritis patients both physically and mentally, there are large gaps to be filled in the treatment of arthritis patients’ mental health. Understanding the social and emotional impact of arthritis on patients is the first step to developing treatments that address both the physical and mental toll caused by arthritis.

In conjunction with the Bone and Joint Center, the AMD3 Foundation is also exploring the connection between mental health and arthritis through its What Matters survey system, in the hopes of hearing about these issues from patients firsthand. 

Arthritis patients and healthcare professionals should be aware of and take steps toward addressing the mental symptoms of arthritis, which will be discussed in Part 2 of our Mental Health and Arthritis blog series. 

-- 

To receive the latest blog posts from the AMD3 Foundation, subscribe to News That Moves You in the signup box below.