Comparison of Kinesiophobia in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Normal Population

Objective: Severe kinesiophobia, anxiety and depression are observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients, especially during attacks. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of kinesiophobia, anxiety and depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during the attack, after the attack and compared with the healthy normal population. Method: Patients with a diagnosis of RA, aged 18-70 years, no known additional rheumatological disease and rheumatoid arthritis activity index DAS28-ESR or DAS28-CRP ≥ 2.6, who applied to Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, were considered RA attack and 30 RA attack patients were recruited. Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered to these patients. Attack treatment was given to the patients. TAF, HAD-Anxiety and HADDepression scales were re-administered to the same patient group in remission with DAS28- ESR and DAS28-CRP <2.6 regression. Active and remission periods of the disease were compared. Similarly, TKS and HAD scales were applied by collecting 30 healthy control groups of similar age and gender, without any known rheumatological disease. And the healthy control group was compared with the attack and remission periods of the disease. Results: Thirty seropositive RA patients (22 women, 8 men) and 30 healthy controls (22 women, 8 men) were included in our study. The mean age of the patients was 51.13(±10.07) years, and the mean age of the control group was 48.73(±9.11) years. A significant difference was found between the TKS, HAD-Depression and HAD-Anxiety scores of patients with RA attacks and those in remission after treatment for an attack. (p=.007, p=.001, p=.001) When the TKS, HAD-Depression and HAD-Anxiety scores of RA attack patients and the healthy control group were compared, a significant difference was found. (p=.000) When the TCS, HAD-Depression and HAD-Anxiety scores of RA remission patients and the healthy control group were compared, only a significant difference was found between TCS. (p=.005,p=.253,p=.888) Conclusion: In our study, increased kinesiophobia, depression and anxiety are observed when the active periods of RA disease are compared with the remission period. In addition, it was determined that anxiety and depression regressed, but kinesiophobia still persisted in remission RA patients with regressed inflammation compared to the healthy control group Keywords: Rheumatoid Arthritis, DAS28- ESR, DAS28-CRP, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale