Positive psychological change in people with rheumatoid arthritis

Most research on patients with chronic medical conditions, including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) have focussed on the negative impact of living with these conditions. More recent research has highlighted that some people experience Positive Psychological Change (PPC) in response to traumatic or adverse events or conditions, but very few studies have looked at PPC in relation to people with RA. The aim of this study was to investigate if people with RA experience PPC and to explore the psychosocial, physical and demographic factors associated with its occurrence. A survey study was conducted to investigate the likelihood and extent of PPC, and the psychosocial, physical and demographic factors that are associated with and which may influence the development of PPC within this population. This study is based on a sample of British individuals with RA who were recruited from the University of Salford Rehabilitation Research Group’s Arthritis Research Panel and from the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. The data was collected using a pack of eight reliable and valid questionnaires that were mailed to the eligible individuals. Out of 338 invitation packs 228 (67%) questionnaires were returned and completed of which 210 were screened to comprise the final sample. The mean participant age was 62, they were mostly female, (79%) and the majority had the disease for more than 10 years (53.3%). The Silver Lining Questionnaire (SLQ-38) was used as the criterion for PPC and the mean score was 95.09 (SD ± 26.09). In this sample SLQ scores were distributed normally. The criterion for the occurrence of PPC was set at one SD over the SLQ mean (121). Nearly 34% of the current participants reported PPC, and the higher scores were associated with: age; disease duration; psychological well-being; coping strategy; lower fatigue, social support and sense of coherence and resilience. The findings reveal that distancing was the most favourably used coping strategy however, the PPC positively correlated with the cognitive reframing subscale. Implications of this study for the application of psychological principles in Rheumatology services were examined. Limitations of the research along with further direction for the future studies were discussed