Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Self-Assessment Protocol for Predicting Psoriatic Arthritis in Psoriasis Patients
Published on: March 1, 2024
The Relationship Between Mental Health, Disease Severity, and Genetic Risk for Depression in Early Rheumatoid
Jack Euesden1, Faith Matcham, Matthew Hotopf
1From the SGDP Centre (Euesden, Lewis), and Department of Psychological Medicine (Matcham, Hotopf), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London; Department of Rheumatology (Steer), Weston Education Centre, King's College Hospital; Academic Department of Rheumatology (Cope, Scott), Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology of Inflammation, and Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics (Lewis, Scott), King's College London, London; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (Euesden), School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol; and Research Institute for Primary Care & Health Sciences (Scott), Primary Care Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Objective:
Reduced mental health (MH) is prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although longitudinal studies are limited, there is evidence that depression is associated with worse disease outcomes. We evaluated reciprocal relationships between MH, RA severity, and genetic risks for depression for 2 years in a well-characterized cohort of RA patients.
Methods:
We evaluated 520 early RA patients previously enrolled to two clinical trials. MH was measured using the short form-36 MH domain and mental component summary scores (MCS). MCS/MH associations over 2 years with disease activity (disease activity score on a 28-joint count), disability (health assessment questionnaire), pain visual analog scale scores, and a weighted genetic risk score for depression were tested using linear mixed-effects and regression models.
Results:
Poorer MH was associated with worse RA outcomes. Lower MCS scores (indicating worse MH) were seen in patients with a greater genetic risk for depression (weighted genetic risk score: coefficient = -1.21, p = .013). Lower baseline MCS was associated with lower 2-year improvements in disease activity score on a 28-joint count (coefficient = -0.02, p < .001), pain (coefficient = -0.33, p < .001), and health assessment questionnaire (coefficient = -0.01, p = .006). Baseline MCS was associated with changes in the swollen joint count (coefficient = -0.09, p < .001) and patient global assessment (coefficient = -0.28, p < .001) but not the tender joint count (p = .983) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = .973). Only baseline pain visual analog scale (coefficient = -0.07, p = .002) was associated with 2-year changes in MCS.
Conclusions:
Reduced baseline MH was associated with lower improvements in disease activity, disability, and pain for 2 years, supporting current national guidelines recommending screening for depression in RA. Pain had a bidirectional relationship with MH. Depression genetic risk had a significant association with MH.
More Related Videos
04:50Preliminary Study on Acupuncture Combined with Grain-sized Moxibustion for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Finger Joint Pain
Published on: May 16, 2025
06:55An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents
Published on: December 2, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu