Do Cognitive Processes Predict Mental Health in Individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis?

The purpose of the present study was to assess the hypothesis that intellectual functioning affects the mental health of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to assess the relative contributions of age, education, intellectual functioning, self-efficacy, and pain to mental health. It was hypothesized that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis who had higher intellectual functioning and higher self-efficacy would report better mental health than those with lower intellectual functioning and self-efficacy. One hundred twenty-one adults aged 34 to 84 with rheumatoid arthritis completed a battery of cognitive tasks, and multiple measures of self-efficacy, pain, and mental health, twice in 1 month. The data provided a good fit to the hypothesized model. Intellectual functioning was directly related to mental health and, also, indirectly related to mental health through self-efficacy and pain. Older individuals who performed poorly on cognitive tasks reported less self-efficacy, more pain, and poorer mental health than those individuals who performed well on cognitive tasks.