Abstract:
Intro: Research suggests that a range of cognitive, emotional, and quality of life variables are associated with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS). This study assessed and contrasted these variables to investigate how they distinguished between patients with MUPS, patients with a medically explained condition such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and healthy controls. This study also investigated whether the variables are related to variances in healthcare-seeking behaviours for patients with MUPS and RA. Method: 23 patients with MUPS, 34 patients with RA, and 35 matching controls participated in the current study. Clinical participants were those who presented to clinical services in the Waitemata District Health Board over a one year period (1st of January to 31st of December 2013). Participants completed a battery of questionnaires composed of measures that assessed symptom burden, depression, anxiety, stress, symptom catastrophizing, quality of life, past medical consultation experiences, and illness perceptions. Results: The results revealed significant differences between patients and controls in symptom burden, level of depression, anxiety, and stress, and symptom catastrophizing. Patients with MUPS further differed to patients with RA in levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and physical quality of life. The correlational analyses revealed significant association between symptom catastrophizing and patient healthcare utilization rate. Conclusion: These findings support the view that, although the pathophysiology of MUPS remains unclear, catastrophic thinking, psychiatric symptoms, and coping with stress remain important targets of intervention for improving MUPS in general.
