Pain and Catastrophizing in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to define changes in catastrophizing that occur with initiation of a new disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) and to examine the relationship between changes in Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and changes in catastrophizing. METHODS: Participants in an ongoing multi-site, prospective observational study completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) before and 12-weeks after DMARD initiation. We used multivariable linear regression models to examine the association between changes in CDAI as the exposure and change in pain catastrophizing as the outcome. We also assessed the relationship between changes in each component of CDAI and change in PCS, using multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: Among the 165 RA patients with data on CDAI at both time points, CDAI decreased from 22 to 11.5 on a 76-point scale (P