Biobehavioral factors in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: Implications for research and practice

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the most common connective tissue disease in children. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may best be conceptualized as a syndrome of diverse etiologies with three distinct types of disease onset: systemic, poly articular, and pauciarticular. The overall management of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis consists of a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive care. Biobehavioral factors are delineated into four primary areas: therapeutic adherence, arthritic pain, psychosocial adjustment, and functional independence. To date, relatively little systematic biobehavioral research has been conducted in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; however, the potential for the interdisciplinary biobehavioral approach to this pediatrie chronic disorder is quite evident. © 1984.

Biobehavioral factors in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: Implications for research and practice Academic Article