Evaluation of COVID-19-related fear/stress and associated factors in patients with axial spondyloarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate COVID-19-related fear and stress in individuals with axial spondyloarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and their relationship with clinical and psychological factors. Material and Methods: The study included patients diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA; n = 69) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA; n = 31). Demographic information, clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and COVID-19 vaccination data of all patients were recorded. Fear and stress due to COVID-19, quality of life (QoL), anxiety, depression, and disease activity were assessed with appropriate questionnaires/scales. Results: The fear of COVID-19 scores had a weak significant correlation with RA quality of life (RAQoL), anxiety, depression, and vaccine doses. While the COVID stress scores showed a moderate correlation with RAQoL, they had a weak correlation with disease activity and disease duration of RA, age, body mass index (BMI), and anxiety. In linear regression analyses, anxiety was the only predictor with a significant effect on the scores of both COVID-19 fear and stress. Total number of vaccine doses and age were predictors of the fear of COVID-19 scores and the COVID stress scores, respectively. Discussion: Anxiety affected fear and stress related to coronavirus disease, while the number of vaccine doses and age might differentially affect these two negative emotions.