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Physical disability and psychosocial dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus
1Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
The Journal of Rheumatology
|June 1, 1988
Summary
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients experience mild functional impairment and pain. This study found that increased disability and pain correlate with poorer psychosocial adjustment in SLE patients.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Psychology
- Health Outcomes Research
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease.
- Assessing the impact of SLE on patients' daily lives and psychological well-being is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the functional status and psychosocial adjustment in ambulatory SLE outpatients.
- To explore the relationship between physical impairment and psychological well-being in SLE.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) to measure disability, pain, and global assessment.
- Employed the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS) to assess psychosocial adjustment.
- Analyzed data from 106 ambulatory outpatients with SLE.
Main Results:
- Patients reported mild overall impairment with mean HAQ scores for disability (0.66), pain (0.81), and global assessment (29.4).
- Significant correlations were found between higher disability, pain, and worse global assessment scores.
- These physical symptoms were strongly associated with poorer psychosocial adjustment across all PAIS domains.
Conclusions:
- Functional and psychosocial impairments are prevalent in SLE patients.
- Validated measures like HAQ and PAIS can effectively track outcomes in SLE.
- These findings support the use of functional and psychosocial assessments in longitudinal SLE studies.