LIVING WITH A SERONEGATIVE SPONDYLOARTHROPATHY: AN INVESTIGATION OF HOW CHRONIC PAIN AND THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS INFLUENCES PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING
Back to Page
Authors: Kate Kelly
Keywords: health psychology, cChronic disease, psychological wellbeing, depression, anxiety, stress, spondyloarthritis, autoimmune
Abstract: Seronegative spondyloarthropathies are a family of rheumatological disorders that share a number of clinical symptoms (Bakland, 2013). The most common presenting issue for this family of disorders is chronic back pain (Sen & Hurley, 2019). As experiencing back pain is a regularity in the general population a correct diagnosis of a seronegative spondyloarthropathy is often missed or markedly delayed, particularly in primary care and emergency department settings (Dougados et al., 2001). In individuals who suffer from a chronic illness, their perception of their illness has been found to influence self-management behaviours and quality of life, and patients who have a negative perception of their illness are also found to have impaired mental health (Telles et al., 2019). The present research aimed to investigate how the time between the onset of symptoms and the point of diagnosis impacts the psychological experience for individuals. 204 participants with a clinical diagnosis of a seronegative spondyloarthropathy completed an online survey containing a demographic questionnaire, the DASS-21 and a brief pain scale. Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between depression, anxiety and stress scores and experience with chronic pain, with those reporting higher levels of pain also reporting more chronic levels of impaired psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, the time frame between onset of symptoms and diagnosis could be used to predict depression, anxiety and stress scores in individuals. This research provides insight to both researchers and clinicians about the psychological burden that young people experiencing chronic pain face as a result of unexplained pain and long diagnostic wait periods.