New research shines spotlight on mental health and arthritis

Around a third of the 400,000 people in the UK with rheumatoid arthritis also experience mental health issues. Statistics like these clearly show arthritis does not just affect people’s physical health. Without the right treatment and support the pain and fatigue of rheumatoid arthritis can take its toll on our minds, as well as our bodies.We want this to change and for the mental health issues associated with arthritis to be taken seriously, recognised early and treated effectively. We've forged a new partnership with mental health research charityMQ: Transforming Mental Health to support vital research in this area.The two charities have come together to jointly fund an early research career fellowship, awarded to Dr Sam Norton, a lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at the Department of Rheumatology at King’s College London. During the three-year study, evidence from the last 30 years will be reviewed to find out if the prevalence of mental health issues in people with rheumatoid arthritis has changed over time.The research team will look at factors that might indicate a person is at greater risk of developing mental health issues and explore how best to identify and support these patients from the time they are diagnosed. Dr Norton explains: "It’s vital we take a whole person approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Nowadays we're good at quickly getting people onto medication that controls their inflammatio...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news