Abstract
［Objective and Methods］
Associations among sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, and pain were investigated in 240 cases among 190 patients(mean age 58 years at the time of survey; 22 males and 168 females) diagnosed with RA based on the diagnostic criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1987.
［Results］
1)Incidence of depression: In the first survey of the190cases using CES-D, a depression was noted in 45 cases (24%), when scores of 16 points or higher were regarded as indicating depression.
2) Relationships between the presence or absence of depression: state and trait anxieties and VAS were significantly higher in cases with depression than in those without.
3)When the sleep latency (time to fall asleep) was classified into periods within 15 minutes and those 15 minutes or longer, the incidence of depression and the state and trait anxiety and VAS scores were significantly higher in cases showing a 15-minute or longer sleep latency.
4) Depression scores (CES-D) was significantly higher in cases showing intermittent awakening during sleep (nocturnal wakening) than in those without such awakening.
5) Early awakening: The incidence of depression was markedly higher in patients who awoke earlier than 4:00 (6/9 patients, 66.7%). Moreover, depression and both anxiety scores were significantly higher in patients who awoke before 4:00 compared with others who awoke after 4:00, but no significant difference was noted in VAS.
