Psychologically distinguishable groups of rheumatoid arthritis patients: a controlled, single blind study.

Systematic measures of mood and psychological symptoms were obtained for 68 ambulatory arthritis patients on two standard questionnaires, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). We studied two groups of rheumatoid arthritis patients, one positive and the other negative for rheumatoid factor and erosive joint changes. A third group of patients had other forms of arthritis. All were matched for chronicity and functional impairment as well as psychosocial background variables. We found a distinct psychometric response profile that allowed us to sort patients into the three clinical groups with an accuracy ranging from 63% to 100%.