Autoeficacia, desesperanza aprendida e incapacidad funcional en pacientes con diagnóstico de artritis reumatoide

The purpose of this descriptive study was to study the relation between self efficacy and learned helplessness, and the levels of functional incapacity in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and thus determine the role of psychological factors in the patient's adaptation to this illness. The investigation involved 79 patients in treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, ages 41 yo 60 years. The Activities of Daily Living was applied. Also the index of RAI and the Scale of Self-efficacy for Arthritis. It was found that perceived self efficacy has a negative correlation wit helplessness, pain and functional incapacity. At the sometime, these three variables relate in a positive form. From the preceding it can be concluded that adequate self efficacy permits a more favorable attitude toward the illness and an adaptation to the lifestyle changes brought on by it. Helplessness, for its part, relates to pain, and pain relates with incapacity, from which one can infer an indirect relation to helplessness. The results of this investigation confirm the significant weight of psychological variables have concerning adaptation to rheumatoid arthritis. Taking these variables into account, it may be potentially possible to modify the experience at this illness.