TY - JOUR
T1 - Depression in systemic lupus erythematosus
T2 - The key role of illness intrusiveness and concealment of symptoms
AU - Schattner, Emanuel
AU - Shahar, Golan
AU - Lerman, Sheera
AU - Abu Shakra, Mahmoud
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - Extant literature on depression in chronic illness points to the association between depression and increased morbidity (Moussavi et al., 2007). There is to date little research on the surmised reciprocal relationship between the two. This longitudinal study of 30 women suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was conducted using self-report measures as well as physical illness markers, in order to place depression among SLE patients within what is known of the psychosocial context of depression. The objective of this study was to differentiate between the broadly illness-related and personality-related aspects of SLE depression. Results show that depression is preceded by concealment of SLE symptoms and by illness intrusiveness, a concept reflecting the subjective illness experience. Furthermore, depression is shown to precede changes in illness intrusiveness. Thus, illness intrusiveness and symptom concealment - but not physical illness markers - emerge as key factors in understanding the co-morbidity of SLE and depression. These findings, viewed within the methodological limitations of this study, indicate the centrality of perceptions, of the 'lived experience' of the illness, in the detection and treatment of depression among women with SLE.
AB - Extant literature on depression in chronic illness points to the association between depression and increased morbidity (Moussavi et al., 2007). There is to date little research on the surmised reciprocal relationship between the two. This longitudinal study of 30 women suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was conducted using self-report measures as well as physical illness markers, in order to place depression among SLE patients within what is known of the psychosocial context of depression. The objective of this study was to differentiate between the broadly illness-related and personality-related aspects of SLE depression. Results show that depression is preceded by concealment of SLE symptoms and by illness intrusiveness, a concept reflecting the subjective illness experience. Furthermore, depression is shown to precede changes in illness intrusiveness. Thus, illness intrusiveness and symptom concealment - but not physical illness markers - emerge as key factors in understanding the co-morbidity of SLE and depression. These findings, viewed within the methodological limitations of this study, indicate the centrality of perceptions, of the 'lived experience' of the illness, in the detection and treatment of depression among women with SLE.
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U2 - 10.1521/psyc.2010.73.4.329
DO - 10.1521/psyc.2010.73.4.329
M3 - Article
C2 - 21198385
AN - SCOPUS:78651371791
SN - 0033-2747
VL - 73
SP - 329
EP - 340
JO - Psychiatry
JF - Psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -