Negative affect and physical symptom reporting: A test of explanatory models in two chronically ill populations

Abstract

This research investigated two explanatory models of the association between negative affect (NA) and physical symptom reporting (PSR) in two chronically ill samples: 98 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and 86 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The Symptom Perception Hypotheses proposes that those high in NA arc more self-focused. and this leads to greater PSR, while the Disability Hypothesis proposes that more severe physical illness and disability lead to both increased NA and PSR. Findings showed that NA was strongly associated with reports of joint pain in RA patients, but was not associated with PSR in ESRD patients. In addition. the Disability Hypothesis was supported in the RA sample, such that physician ratings and self-reports of functional status predicted both NA and PSR. These findings indicate that the painfulness of symptoms and their impact on functioning play an important role in the NA-PSR association in chronically ill samples.