Counseling and Coping for Arthritis Disability

According to an article by Health Behavioral News, individuals who suffer from arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) and who learn certain coping skills along with undergoing psychological counseling may be less subject to disability.

The article referenced a study of over three thousand individuals, seventy percent of whom were women, and the conclusions reached, or rather insights gained, by the study seem to be that therapies that change "unhelpful patterns of thinking" may produce differences in quality of life for arthritis patients.

Some of these therapies include biofeedback, hypnosis, and stress management techniques. In the study, those individuals who received counseling and training for the development of coping skills reported reductions in depression, anxiousness, and psychological disability. Some individuals also reported reductions in the swelling of joints, so a reduction in physical disability was also seen.

The results of the study are really not that surprising when one considers the fact that people with more social contacts and outlets tend to be healthier and individuals who are able to maintain higher mood levels, free of anxiety and depression, seem also to have stronger and healthier immune systems.






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Additional Resources

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Reconsideration of a disability denial- what does it involve ?
How will an attorney help me win disability benefits ?