RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory processes in the patients' joints, which tend to cause severe pain and limitation of work-related functions in many cases. The physical limitations associated with the body's inflammatory processes lead to the intensification of anxiety and depression symptoms. This association between RA, depression, and anxiety is related to pro-inflammatory interleukins and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), among other molecular aspects. The objective was to highlight the main aspects of the association between rheumatoid arthritis and symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as to evaluate how these conditions impact patients' quality of life. To achieve this, open-access articles in English published between 2020 and 2024 were searched using the descriptors "Rheumatoid Arthritis," "Depression," and "Anxiety" in databases. The searches with these descriptors resulted in 1,514 articles. After applying filters and relevance analysis, nine articles were selected, representing a total sample of 2,650 patients. A relationship between the three conditions was found, ranging from 14.3% to 100%. In addition to the core symptoms involving anxiety and depression, there is a highlighted need to evaluate pro-inflammatory factors. It is crucial to have a multidisciplinary approach to RA treatment to enable strategies that consider not only the control of the disease's inflammatory activity but also the emotional and social factors that impact patients' health