Juvenile chronic arthritis in adolescence: facing the reality

This paper studies the emotional and social problems of 26 adolescents with severe juvenile chronic arthritis, comparing inpatient and outpatient groups. Social isolation was a serious problem, with lack of opportunity for sexual contacts only partly related to restricted mobility. The main anxieties centered on self-image, lesser height, dependence, and fears for the future. Psychiatric referral was more common in the inpatient group and in girls, and the results suggest a correlation with early age at onset, lesser height, restricted mobility, and broken families, particularly those with additional stresses. The need for better integration and education at school and in society, and for family support, is emphasized.