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Ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis: The relationship between living with these diseases and psychological well‐being
Author(s) -
Kelly Kate
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
musculoskeletal care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1557-0681
pISSN - 1478-2189
DOI - 10.1002/msc.1513
Subject(s) - ankylosing spondylitis , medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , psychological distress , feeling , physical therapy , spondylitis , anxiety , psychiatry , psychology , nursing , social psychology
Background and Purpose This study explored the psychological impact of living with chronic pain as a result of ankylosing spondylitis or undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. The aim was to investigate individual's current pain experience and their current psychological state. Methods A total of 161 individuals who had a clinical diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis or undifferentiated spondyloarthritis participated in an online survey. This survey measured daily/weekly pain, quality of life and psychological wellbeing. Results Results indicated that participants reported feeling high levels of pain consistently that impaired their daily functioning more than 50% of the time. Furthermore, on average participants reported experiencing extremely severe levels of psychological distress, that significantly correlated with their experience with pain. Conclusions This research is significant as it highlights a need to address the psychological well‐being of individuals who are diagnosed with chronic rheumatic disease in conjunction with the support they receive for their physical well‐being. Furthermore, health professionals need to be mindful of the degree of debilitation associated with these diseases.