Determination of Differences in Meta-Cognitive Beliefs, Life-Orientation, Positive and Negative Affection between Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with and without Metabolic Syndrome and Normal individuals

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto-immune, systemic, chronic, and inflammatory disease, which may lead to the Cardio-Vascular Diseases (CVD). Metabolic Syndrome (Met S) is considered as a risk factor for developing CVD while the level of mental health has an essential role in their occurrence and intensification. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the differences in Meta-cognitive beliefs, Life-Orientation, positive and negative Affection between Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with and without Met S and normal individuals in Shiraz city in 2019.

It is a comparative study. The participants of this study were 70 patients with Met S and 70 patients without Met S and 70 normal individuals who were selected by purposive sampling method and were matched in terms of features as age, gender, and marital status. The data were collected by using Wells-Meta-cognitive beliefs questionnaire, Life-Orientation-Reviewed Sheerer and Kurver, Positive and Negative Affection questionnaire by Watson, Clark, and Tellegen. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha method. Data were analyzed using variance multi-variable Statistical analysis and Tukey’s post-hoc test in SPSS software, version 25.

The results showed a significant difference among the three groups in terms of meta-cognitive beliefs (p=0.001) and optimism-pessimism, and Positive Affection (p<0.01); However, a significant difference was not found in the Negative Meta-cognitive beliefs component (p=0.52) and Negative Affection (p=0.07).

The Rheumatoid Arthritis as a chronic disease and its co-occurrence with Met S both have a considerable impact on the CVD. Also, Patients’ mental health can contribute to reducing anxiety and stress happening due to an illness. Besides, patients’ mental health interventions is recommended along with medications.