One in three adults who have arthritis also have anxiety or depression, according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And anxiety is nearly twice as common as depression among people who suffer from arthritis, which is the leading cause of disability in the United States.
"What we ultimately took away is that we've usually thought of arthritis as a condition that can have such profound disabling consequences," said study author Dr. Louise Murphy of the CDC's arthritis program. "But what came out here is how profound the emotional consequences are. This is a call to action."
In the new study, published Monday in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, Murphy and her co-investigators looked at more than 1,700 adults, age 45 and older, who had been diagnosed with arthritis or other rheumatic conditions; these conditions included osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder. The study participants were given questionnaires to determine their emotional well-being.
More than one-third said they had at least one of two mental health conditions: anxiety and depression. Anxiety was far more common than depression among the study participants, however. This, according to researchers, was unexpected.
"The proportion of people with anxiety was almost twice as high as [the amount with] depression," Murphy said. "That was a surprise because both in the clinical world and among arthritis researchers, there's so much more attention paid to depression."
Prior research had established a link between chronic pain and depression, although groups like the National Institute of Mental Health caution that the exact, underlying links are not yet fully understood.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and chronic pain is "complex," the authors of the new study agreed, writing that each acts both independently and synergistically as a risk factor for the others.
"When people start living with [arthritis] and the potential limitations it imposes, that can cause distress," Murphy said. The CDC estimates that 21 million of the 50 million adults in the United States currently living with arthritis have some limitation in their activity, including physical or work-related ones, and, in many cases, both.
People with many arthritis may be very hesitant to exercise or simply get out and do things, which can contribute to a general sense of anxiety as well as feelings of depression, Murphy said.
"It makes perfect sense," said Dr. Eric Gall, interim director of the University of Arizona's Arthritis Center.
"These people have chronic pain, and that breeds depression," Gall said. "They're frightened about the disease, they're frightened about being crippled and not being able to do things. They have problems with their marriages and jobs and so forth." Many clinicians and researchers might have focused on the link between arthritis and depression rather than on anxiety, in part, because they often think of anxiety as simply accompanying depression, he said.
Regardless of whether they have depression, anxiety or both, many arthritis sufferers might not be getting help.
More than half of the respondents with anxiety, depression or both had not sought help in the past year, according to the new study. The authors cautioned that the numbers might be underestimated in the current research because they used a conservative definition of depression.
"Health care providers can make an important difference by screening all people with arthritis for anxiety and depression," Murphy said. "We need to be addressing arthritis on a broader basis."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.