The implications of depression for pain and disability in rheumatoid arthritis.

Depression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects many, but by no means all, persons with the disease. There is evidence that depression bears a significant relationship to pain in RA, although the causal direction is not entirely clear. Likewise, there is strong evidence that depression is a major contributor to the RA disability. Therefore, prevention, early diagnosis, and aggressive treatment of depression are needed to minimize the disability associated with RA.