Assessment of Temperament and Character of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Abstract

Objective: It is widely known that perception of disease affects clinical course and treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study we aim to define temperament and character properties of RA patients and to discuss the relation between these specific temperament and character properties and clinic variables.

Methods: Study involved 93 RA patients. Temperament and character properties of patients were evaluated using Temperament and Character Inventory. Associations of clinical variables and specific temperament characteristics were evaluated using correlation and association analyses. Approval was obtained from institutional ethical commitee.

Results: 74 (79.6 %) of study subjects were females and 19 (20.4 %) were males. Mean age of the patients was 53.3 +/- 11.5 years. There wasn't any difference between sociodemographic and clinical variables and temperament scores of patients according to gender (p > 0.05). Comparison of temperament features and clinical variables showed that there was a weak correlation between harm avoidance and Anticitrullinated Peptide Antibodies (p = 0.04, r = 0.22) and between reward dependance and Disease Activity Score (DAS 28). Regression analysis showed an association between reward dependance and DAS-28.

Conclusion: Our findings indicated that there is an association between harm avoidance and reward dependance temperament properties of RA patients and disease activation, and disease course is more severe in patients who have high scores in these temperament dimensions. Therefore, adding assessment of temperament and character properties will help clinicians while evaluating treatment compliance and motivation of patients at initial and later stages of disease.