Research has established a link between health status and symptoms of depression in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the effects of "cognitive coping" variables have not been extensively studied. We examined the mediator effect of a cognitive coping variable (Pain Control and Rational Thinking factor score from the Coping Strategies Questionnaire) over the course of a pharmacological intervention.
Data were analyzed from 54 persons with RA, all of whom met diagnostic criteria for major depression. Measures of depression, health status, and cognitive coping were collected at 4 different stages of a pharmacological (antidepressant) study as follows: (1) at baseline, (2) postintervention, (3) 6 month followup, and (4) 15 month followup.
Results indicated that a direct relationship existed between health status and depression at all 4 time periods. However, this relationship was mediated by cognitive coping only at the postintervention and the 6 month followup.
A cognitive coping variable was found to mediate the relationship between health status and depression, but only at moderate levels of depression.