Psychiatric Disturbances in • Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

This thesis was set out to study the pattern of psychiatric syndromes that may accompany RA and its relationship with disease activity, severity, pain and disability; also to study the impact of stressful life events on RA disease activity, severity and disability.

This thesis was made on forty RA patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology revised criteria and also twenty matched healthy individuals as a control group.

In the group ofRA patients, the following was assessed: *History: age, sex, disease duration, the duration of morning stiffness, the severity of pain, extra-articular manifestations, drug intake and duration. *Clinical examination: general, organ system examination and joint examination. *Laboratory investigations: L Complete blood picture, Hb% (Coulter S+ counter). 2. ESR (Westergren method). 3. Rheumatoid factor (latex agglutination test). 4. C-reactive protein (latex test). 5. Liver and kidney function tests.