The importance of enhancing self-efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: Arthritis care and research Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 18
• Main Authors: Smarr, K L, Parker, J C, Wright, G E, Stucky-Ropp, R C, Buckelew, S P, Hoffman, R W, O'Sullivan, F X, Hewett, J E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-02-1997
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Relaxation Therapy - standards; Self Care; Self Concept; Stress, Psychological - etiology; Stress, Psychological - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0893-7524
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1790100104

To examine relationships among changes in self-efficacy and changes in other clinically relevant outcome measures.
Subjects (n = 44) were participants in a prospective, randomized stress-management study followed over 15 months. Outcome measures included self-efficacy, depression, pain, health status, and disease activity.
Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between changes in self-efficacy (particularly total self-efficacy) and changes in selected measures of depression, pain, health status, and disease activity. The observed associations were not due to changes in medication regimen or to nonadherence to the stress-management program.
Evidence is provided that induced changes in self-efficacy following a stress-management program were significantly related to other clinically important outcome measures.