Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among hardiness, social support, severity of illness, and psychological well-being in women with rheumatoid arthritis who were being seen on an outpatient basis. Questionnaires were administered, to 122 women, assessing hardiness, social support, and psychological well-being. Severity of illness was determined by assessment of joint function, sedimentation rates, and length of morning stiffness. Significant correlations were found between (a) hardiness and the number of persons in the social support system, (b) hardiness and satisfaction with social support, (c) hardiness and psychological well-being, (d) the number of persons in the social support system and satisfaction with social support, (e) the number of persons in the social support system and joint function, (f) satisfaction with social support and psychological well-being, and (g) length of morning stiffness and psychological well-being. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that satisfaction with social support, hardiness, and length of morning stiffness (in that order) were the best predictors of psychological well-being. The findings suggest that these three factors play a significant role in the identification of women with rheumatoid arthritis who are more able to cope with the stressful ramifications of their disease.
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