Doctors Should Watch for Depression in RA Patients
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are twice as likely to experience depression, but are unlikely to talk to a doctor about it, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In a study published in the February 2008 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, researchers found that almost 11 percent of RA patients had moderately severe to severe symptoms of depression. The study also found that only one in five of the patients who showed symptoms of depression discussed it with their rheumatologists. Those who did were always the ones to bring up the topic, not the physician. When depression was brought up, it was often not discussed at any length.
Why not? Because when patients visit their specialist, their arthritis is understandably their main focus, says Betsy Sleath, PhD, the study’s lead author. But rheumatologists should consider addressing both RA and depression when they see their patients.
"Chronic diseases can greatly affect a patient's psychosocial well-being, and depression can also affect a patient's adherence to treatment regimens," Sleath says. "Since many arthritis patients see their rheumatologist more often then their primary-care physician, we recommend that rheumatologists take steps to screen patients for signs of depression." 2/22/08
