Arthritis can not only impact your physical health, but it can also have adverse effects on your mental health.

1. THE IMPACT OF ARTHRITIS
ON MENTAL HEALTH
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2. A R T H R I T I S R E F E R S T O J O I N T C O N D I T I O N S
C H A R A C T E R I Z E D B Y C H R O N I C P A I N , B U T
B E Y O N D T H E P H Y S I C A L S Y M P T O M S , I T C A N
A L S O A D V E R S E L Y A F F E C T O N E ’ S M E N T A L
H E A L T H .
I N M A N Y C A S E S , T H I S M A N I F E S T S A S
D E P R E S S I O N A N D A N X I E T Y , A N D T H E
C O M O R B I D I T Y O F T H E S E C O N D I T I O N S C A N
A C T U A L L Y W O R S E N A R T H R I T I S .
A S T H E L I N K B E T W E E N M E N T A L H E A L T H A N D
A R T H R I T I S B E C O M E S C L E A R E R , I T I S
I M P O R T A N T T O T A L K T O Y O U R H E A L T H C A R E
P R O V I D E R A B O U T T R E A T I N G A N X I E T Y A N D
D E P R E S S I O N A S A P A R T O F Y O U R C A R E
R E G I M E N F O R M A N A G I N G A R T H R I T I S .

3. T H E A M E R I C A N P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A S S O C I A T I O N
D E F I N E S A N X I E T Y A S A C O N D I T I O N
C H A R A C T E R I Z E D B Y F E E L I N G S O F T E N S I O N ,
W O R R Y , A N D I R R I T A B I L I T Y I N A D D I T I O N T O
P H Y S I C A L C H A N G E S L I K E I N C R E A S E D B L O O D
P R E S S U R E .
D E P R E S S I O N I S C H A R A C T E R I Z E D B Y T R A I T S S U C H
A S S A D N E S S , A L A C K O F I N T E R E S T I N D A I L Y
A C T I V I T I E S , S L E E P D I S T U R B A N C E , F A T I G U E , A N D
F E E L I N G S O F W O R T H L E S S N E S S .
W H I L E T H E R A T E S O F A N X I E T Y A N D D E P R E S S I O N
I N P E O P L E W I T H A R T H R I T I C D I S E A S E S V A R Y
D E P E N D I N G O N A N U M B E R O F F A C T O R S , D A T A
S H O W T H A T T H E R A T E S O F C O M O R B I D I T Y C A N
R A N G E B E T W E E N T W O T O T E N T I M E S G R E A T E R
T H A N T H E R A T E S O F T H E G E N E R A L P O P U L A T I O N ,
D E P E N D I N G O N T H E T Y P E O F A R T H R I T I S .

4. Many people with arthritis find themselves in a never-
ending loop of pain. Anxiety and depression can lower
one’s pain threshold, and chronic pain can aggravate
anxiety and depression.
In addition, those who suffer from both depression and
arthritis have functional limitations that can prevent
them from adhering to their pain regimens, which can
increase their odds of developing other health
problems.

5. M A N Y S T U D I E S I N D I C A T E T H A T
P E O P L E W I T H A R T H R I T I S S U F F E R I N G
F R O M T H E H I G H E S T L E V E L S O F P A I N
A R E M O R E L I K E L Y T O B E A N X I O U S ,
T H O U G H T H E A S S O C I A T I O N B E T W E E N
S E V E R E P A I N W I T H D E P R E S S I O N I S
N O T Q U I T E C L E A R .
L I V I N G W I T H C H R O N I C P A I N C A N B E
T A X I N G B O T H P H Y S I C A L L Y A N D
E M O T I O N A L L Y . C H R O N I C S T R E S S
C A U S E S C H A N G E S I N S T R E S S
H O R M O N E S A N D N E U R O C H E M I C A L S ,
W H I C H A F F E C T , M O O D , T H I N K I N G ,
A N D B E H A V I O R .

6. W H I L E T H E L I N K B E T W E E N P A I N A N D D I S A B I L I T Y T O D E P R E S S I O N I N
A R T H R I T I S I S C L E A R , T H E R E I S A D E V E L O P I N G T H E O R Y
T H A T I N F L A M M A T I O N A L S O P L A Y S A R O L E . I N 2 0 1 6 , T H E J O U R N A L O F
C L I N I C A L P S Y C H I A T R Y R E V I E W E D L E V E L S O F C - R E A C T I V E P R O T E I N , A N
I N D I C A T O R O F I N F L A M M A T I O N , I N A S U R V E Y O F 1 0 , 0 0 0 P E O P L E .
T H E S U R V E Y F O U N D T H A T P E O P L E W I T H S Y M P T O M S O F D E P R E S S I O N H A D
C R P L E V E L S T H A T W E R E 3 1 % H I G H E R T H A N T H O S E W I T H O U T
D E P R E S S I V E S Y M P T O M S . D R . P A T R I C I A K A T Z , P H . D . , P R O F E S S O R O F
M E D I C I N E A T T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A S A N F R A N C I S C O ,
E X P L A I N S T H A T “ T H E R E I S A B O D Y O F L I T E R A T U R E R E C O G N I Z I N G
D E P R E S S I O N A S A N I N F L A M M A T O R Y S T A T E .
T H E R E I S A W E L L - D O C U M E N T E D E V E N T C A L L E D C Y T O K I N E - I N D U C E D
D E P R E S S I O N , W H E R E C Y T O K I N E S A R E I N C R E A S E D A N D D E P R E S S I O N
O C C U R S . ” S P E C I F I C C Y T O K I N E S A R E I N V O L V E D I N T H E P A I N A N D
I N F L A M M A T I O N P R O C E S S I N A R T H R I T I S .

7. F U R T H E R M O R E , T H E P A I N O F A R T H R I T I S I S
E X H A U S T I N G . T H E E N S U I N G H E A L T H C H A L L E N G E S O F
T H E C O N D I T I O N C A N C A U S E O N E T O E N G A G E I N L E S S
P H Y S I C A L A C T I V I T Y , B E C O M E M O R E I S O L A T E D , A N D
A F F E C T S L E E P Q U A L I T Y , W H I C H A L L C O N T R I B U T E T O
D E P R E S S I O N .
T H E K E Y T O L I V I N G Y O U R F U L L E S T L I F E W H E N Y O U
A R E A F F E C T E D B Y A R T H R I T I S I S T O T R E A T B O T H T H E
P H Y S I C A L A N D M E N T A L S Y M P T O M S O F T H E D I S E A S E .