The Relationship between Emotional Deficit and Pain in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Isfahan City

A link between emotional deficit and somatic factors has been widely established، yet little is known about different factors that may predict this relationship. The idea of psychopathology as a mediator has been supported by some pieces of evidencebut in fact، it has not been exactly scrutinized. Therefore، the present study examined the relationship between emotional deficit and pain severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In this descriptive-correlational study، the target population included all patients with rheumatoid arthritis who referred to medical centers of Isfahan during spring 2012. A total number of 100 men and women with rheumatoid arthritis were selected via convenience sampling. A sociodemographic data form، Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)، Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and rheumatoid arthritis pain scale (RAPS) were administered to each subject andrequired information was obtained. The study data was analyzed by SPSS-18، AMOS-18 software، Pearson Correlation، and Structural Equation Modeling methods. Results indicated that the structural model fit clinical sample extremely well (chi2= 3. 04; p= 0. 218). Alexithymia، depression and anxiety were correlated with pain severity. In this model a latency variable (emotional deficit) was explored that predicted painseverity sowell (CFI، T،I، AGFI and GFI > 0. 9). The study findings revealed thatemotional deficit hasan important role in the rheumatoid arthritis and the pain severity. The model can confirm those pieces of evidence indicating the psychological treatments included in multidisciplinary programs for this disorder.