Donate Now

#Episode 16:

Arthritis & Mental Health

Want to support research like this & more?

Donate Now

Between 20 and 40% of people with arthritis experience a mental health disorder at some point.

Individuals diagnosed with arthritis often describe a profound sense of loss tied to social relationships, the ability to work, attend school, perform daily tasks and be the person they used to be. Dealing with chronic pain and fatigue can also take a toll on mental wellbeing.

Yet, research reveals around 50% of people in British Columbia who live with arthritis – and experience depression or anxiety – do not receive adequate care for their mental health. Even when someone is ready to seek help, they face barriers such as long waitlists and significant costs. 

While there is often a focus on treating the physical side of arthritis, the mental side is just as important. It can impact how someone responds to medications and their ability to achieve remission.

Learn more about this research in Episode 16 of the Arthritis Research Education Series. 

Webinar

Learn about the connection between arthritis and mental health in this webinar with our researcher and patient partner.

Research

“Mental health is just as important as physical health,” says Dr. Alyssa Howren, a research trainee at Arthritis Research Canada who is currently completing postdoctoral research at Stanford University. “We know that having a mental health disorder can affect a person’s response to medications and their ability to achieve remission.”

Howren has conducted extensive research to understand the connection between arthritis and mental health.

“My main hope is that this research helps people feel that their experiences with respect to their mental health are validated,” Howren says. “I hope it helps them find courage to move past societal stigmas, have discussions about mental health and optimize their wellbeing.”

Mental Health Research

Research Scientist

Dr. Alyssa Howren, MSc and PhD

Research Trainee, Arthritis Research Canada | Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

Dr. Alyssa Howren is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University’s Department of Epidemiology and Population Health in the School of Medicine. Dr. Howren completed her MSc and PhD training at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. During this time, she was a trainee at Arthritis Research Canada.

Her research focuses on the complex relationship between depression, anxiety and inflammatory arthritis. She has also done research to understand how people living with inflammatory arthritis, and mental health disorders, receive medical treatment.

Dr. Howren’s postdoctoral research at Stanford will evaluate whether biases in clinical decision-making contribute to sex and gender differences observed in the diagnosis of major depressive disorders.

Additional Resources

  • Study Highlights Need for Improved Mental Health Care for People Living with Inflammatory Arthritis: Arthritis Research Canada’s research results show people living with inflammatory arthritis are not receiving adequate care for anxiety and depression. Read more

  • Arthritis & Mental Health: It’s Complicated: People living with arthritis are more likely to experience mental health issues. In fact, up to 70% of individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis report having anxiety and up to 38% say they experience depression. Research teams are working to understand the connection between arthritis, physical health and mental health in order to improve care and quality of life. Read More

  • It’s Not Just Joint Pain: Mental Health in Rheumatic Diseases: Rheumatic diseases can lead to anxiety, depression, and stress. Addressing mental health is crucial for improving quality of life and treatment outcomes. Find out what Eileen Davidson, a member of Arthritis Research Canada’s Arthritis Patient Advisory Board, has to say about this important topic. Read More

  • The 11 Moods of Rheumatoid Arthritis — and How I’ve Learned to Cope with Them: Eileen Davidson wasn’t prepared for the emotional and mental health roller coaster that followed her rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Find out what she’s learned along the way. Read More 

  • Suicide Crisis Helpline: If you are feeling like you have lost hope and are struggling to cope, dealing with thoughts of suicide, or if you are worried about someone else, 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline is here for you. When you reach out, a trained responder will listen without judgement, provide support and understanding, and can tell you about resources that will help. Learn More

  • suicide.ca for Quebec Residents: Professional and confidential counselling service offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn More

  • Hope for Wellness Helpline: Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24/7 to all Indigenous people across Canada. Learn More
  • Kids Help Phone: Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, multilingual and confidential support to help all young people. Learn More

  • Mental Health Services in Canada:  A list of support from the Canadian government for those in crisis. Learn More
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Mental health describes a person’s overall state of mind or mental well-being. It’s their capacity to cope with daily stressors, form connections and relationships, and overcome obstacles. Mental health exists on a continuum, and can fluctuate over a person’s lifetime. The key to positive mental health is resilience or the ability to use coping mechanisms and tools to overcome stress and adversity.

Mental disorders are diagnosable conditions, such as anxiety and depression. These cause persistent distress for a person and can impede their ability to function for prolonged periods of time.

A helpful way to frame the two is that everyone has mental health. Not everyone has a mental health disorder or illness. The two are interconnected. You can have very good mental health or positive mental health while dealing with a mental illness.

There is a significant amount of research to show that mental disorders are more common in people with arthritis. Estimates tend to vary by type of arthritis and measures used to look at anxiety and depression (there are different scales). But overall, we see that between 20 and 40% of people with arthritis experience a mental health disorder at some point.

There are similarities in terms of the presentation and symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, people with arthritis have many other factors that can affect mental health: chronic pain, fatigue, having to manage a disease, and more. These factors can negatively impact mental health. People with arthritis also have to learn to adjust to their illness, which can be very challenging. People often describe it as a sense of loss, whether it’s to do with what they could normally do before, social relationships, ability to work or go to school, etc. Arthritis adds an extra layer of challenges to life.

When people are living with arthritis, there is a significant focus on the physical health. Mental health isn’t always prioritized. However, mental health is just as important because we know that, if a person has arthritis, and a mental health disorder like depression or anxiety, it can affect how they respond to medications, as well as their ability to reach remission in their arthritis.

This will differ from person to person. Some people might feel comfortable talking to a trusted friend or family member. It can also be helpful to speak to a family physician who is well-trained to provide suitable treatment options. People with arthritis can also talk to their rheumatologist or a nurse practitioner at their rheumatologist’s office, if one is available. Within Canada, there are also 24/7 mental health support lines (such as 9-8-8) available to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

People can face several barriers when seeking care for mental health:

 

  • It can be difficult to express feelings and talk to someone.
  • Even when ready to get help, there are often financial barriers, as counseling or therapy are not funded by the Canadian healthcare system.
  • When someone does find a counselor who’s covered by insurance or the healthcare system, there are long wait times. These long wait times can impact a person’s ability to seek help.

Dr. Alyssa Howren on her mental health research key findings: 

  • I have worked to disentangle the bidirectional relationship between arthritis, depression and anxiety. So five years before a diagnosis and five years after a diagnosis, we saw elevated healthcare encounters for depression and anxiety. A healthcare encounter includes things like a visit to your family physician to talk about depression or anxiety or a visit to a hospital to seek care for depression or anxiety. It can also include any medications, such as antidepressants, dispensed at a pharmacy.
  • I also conducted research to evaluate mental health treatment for people with arthritis who have depression and anxiety. Research results showed that individuals with arthritis tended to have an increased perceived need for mental healthcare, and this was particularly high for men.
  • My research also revealed that around 50% of people with arthritis, with depression and anxiety, were not receiving adequate care for their mental health.

Feedback & Survey

Arthritis & Mental Health Survey

Your opinion matters. Tell us what you thought of this episode and webinar.

Take A Quick Survey Now