Coping Skills Training for Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

RA is a serious and complex disease that taxes patients' coping resources. Patients with RA
must cope with pain and with major life stresses, including disruptions in their health,
work, family, and marital functioning.

Recognition of the morbidity and mortality associated with RA has increased interest in early
interventions. Rapid disease progression during the first few years of RA taxes patients'
coping efforts. Those who cope well with the early stages of RA can maintain an active and
rewarding lifestyle. Those who do not may become depressed, decrease physical activity, and
develop a sedentary, restricted lifestyle that contributes to long-term disability and
overdependence on family and friends.

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of early coping skills training (CST) to enhance
self-efficacy, prepare patients to cope with future pain, and prevent the development of
behaviors that may increase long-term psychological distress and physical disability. The
comprehensive CST intervention combines traditional CST with CST components tailored to
rheumatoid arthritis patients. It is designed to teach traditional coping skills such as
attention diversion, cognitive restructuring, and changes in activity to control and decrease
pain.

Participants will be randomized to one of three study groups: 1) comprehensive pain coping
skills training; 2) arthritis education; or 3) standard care. Study participants assigned to
the comprehensive CST and the arthritis education groups will be asked to attend ten weekly,
80-minute treatment sessions. These ten sessions will be followed by a series of six biweekly
follow-up telephone calls.

Study participants in the arthritis education group will learn about the nature and treatment
of rheumatoid arthritis as well as the benefits of exercise and joint protection. Study
participants in the standard care group will continue to receive care from their
rheumatologists but will not participate in any treatment sessions.

Measures of pain, disability, pain coping, and self efficacy will be collected during
evaluation sessions before and after the treatment phase. Participants attend 5 evaluation
sessions and will be followed for 18 months.

Inclusion Criteria

- Meet at least 4 of the 7 criteria for RA classification based on the 1987 American
College of Rheumatology criteria

- Onset of RA symptoms within 2 years of study entry

Exclusion Criteria

- Known organic disease that significantly affects function

- Rheumatic disorders in addition to RA that significantly affect function