The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on January 3rd. It showed that adults with arthritis often have to deal with more than just physical pain.
Many of them also struggle with mental health problems like depression and frequent mental distress.
The CDC researchers, led by Janae D. Price, wanted to understand how common these mental health problems were among adults with arthritis.
They used data from a big study called the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Unpacking the Findings
So, what did they find? They discovered that out of all adults with arthritis, around 16.8 percent often felt mentally distressed.
This meant they felt sad, nervous, or restless a lot of the time. On top of that, a whopping 32.1 percent had a history of depression.
These numbers weren’t the same for everyone, though. Some groups of people had even higher rates of mental distress and depression.
For example, women with arthritis felt mentally distressed more often than men (19.9 percent versus 14.6 percent).
Also, people who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual had higher rates of mental distress and depression compared to heterosexual individuals.
Why This Matters
The findings from this study are super important. Arthritis is a disease that affects your joints, causing pain and stiffness.
But this research shows that it’s not just about the physical pain. It also significantly affects people’s mental health.
This means doctors treating patients with arthritis need to pay attention to their mental health too. The researchers suggest that doctors should regularly check their patients for signs of mental distress or depression.
If needed, they can then help their patients get the mental health support they need.
What We Can Do
The report emphasizes that we can all do something to help. People with arthritis should be aware that they might face these mental health issues.
They can then seek help if they start to feel mentally distressed or depressed. Mental health professionals and community support groups can also play a big role in providing help.
In conclusion, arthritis can be a tough disease to live with. But with the right help and support, people with arthritis can manage not only their physical symptoms but also their mental health.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and Jarlsberg cheese could help prevent bone thinning disease.
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