Contribution of the self-regulation model to understanding the health related quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Purpose: This study examined a comprehensive model that integrates the interrelationships among health-related-quality-of-life (HRQoL), disease duration, disease severity, illness representations, and coping resources regarding patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), based on the Self-regulation model. Method: A convenience sample of 164 patients with RA completed measures of disease’s characteristics (disease duration, disease status), illness representations (timeline, consequences, self-control, treatment control, symptom burden, concern about RA, understanding RA, emotional representations), coping resources (resilience, social support), HRQoL, and socio-demographic questionnaires. The research model was assessed through path analysis. Results: Perceptions of higher treatment control, lower consequences of RA and lower symptom burden were directly related to HRQoL. The perceptions of higher self-control, higher treatment control, less concern about RA, and lower emotional representations were associated with higher resilience, which in turn was associated with higher HRQoL. The perceptions of higher treatment control, greater understanding of RA, and lower emotional representations were associated with higher perceived social support; however, social support was not associated with HRQoL. Conclusions: This study contributes to a better understanding of the determinants of HRQoL among RA patients. The findings indicate that clinical interventions targeting RA patients’ illness representations and resilience may assist patients with RA to improve their HRQoL.