Depression, Anxiety, Fibromyalgia Common With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis

Single screening with the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire can be used in clinical practice

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Approximately four in 10 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have anxiety, depression, or fibromyalgia, according to a study published online July 16 in ACR Open Rheumatology.

Juan Schmukler, M.D., from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and colleagues analyzed the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia in 361 patients with OA versus 488 patients with RA seen in routine care.

The researchers found that 40.4 percent of patients with OA and 36.3 percent of 488 patients with RA screened positive for anxiety, depression, or fibromyalgia. Eight and 7 percent of patients with OA and RA, respectively, screened positive for all three. Poorer patient status (as measured by the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 [RAPID3]) overall, as well as each component, were significantly higher in patients with any positive screen result in both diagnoses (odds ratios of 2.6 to 35.8).

“Screening for anxiety, depression, and/or fibromyalgia can be incorporated feasibly into routine clinical care using a single MDHAQ [Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire] to better inform health professionals concerning patient status, prognosis, and response to treatments,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry; one author holds a copyright and trademark on MDHAQ and RAPID3.