To examine the predictive factors for anxiety, depression and pain in adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Two hundred and forty-six adults identified with long-standing JIA had an average disease duration of 28.3 yr. Candidate factors potentially predictive for pain, anxiety and depression were assessed by multiple regression analysis.
Of the patients, 31.6% were anxious, 5.2% were depressed, and 21.1% had previously suffered from depression. The percentage of the variance accounted for by other variables was 78.8 for anxiety variance and 54.5 for depression, but there was little influence from physical disease-related factors. Severe pain, measured on a visual analogue scale, occurred in 32.9% of patients, and 22.8% had poor perceived control over their pain. Function, coping strategies, pain self-efficacy, inflammation and previous depression could predict 39.6% of the variance in pain.
Comparing adults with children, disease activity and control over pain remain predictors of pain but become less important than disability and coping strategies.