Modeling of structural relations between alexithymia and depression with the mediation of sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease with an unknown reason mostly associated with a high prevalence of psychological disorders. As a result, the aim of this study was to explain the modeling of structural relations between alexithymia and depression with the mediation of sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The research method is cross-sectional in correlation type using modeling of structural equations. The statistical population of this study includes people of Iran in 2020 with rheumatoid arthritis disorder who were active in cyberspace, and 412 people among them were selected by convenience sampling. The tools used in this study were Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Toronto Alexithymia Scale. For analysis of the research data, SPSS 23 and AMOS 22 software were used at the descriptive and inferential level. The research results showed that alexithymia through sleep quality has an indirect and significant effect on the depression of rheumatoid arthritis patients, and is able to predict the depression significantly. Based on the current research findings, it can be said that sleep quality mediates the relationship between alexithymia and depression, and has a significant role in depression of the rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thus, considering these variables by researchers and experts prevents from aggravation of the disease, and improves people’s treatment more efficiently.