Depression in rheumatoid arthritis.

We have examined 144 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and found a high prevalence of depression, which has not previously been reported.It is probable that good practitioners who see patients at home acquire a better understanding of the social and psychological aspects of such an illness. The presence of depression was statistically significant when associated with the articular index, the degree of functional impairment, and with dependence on others, but not with many other medical and social factors.