A recent report on the reproductive and sexual health of women+ with inflammatory arthritis, rheumatic, and psoriatic diseases suggests that mental health is an often neglected aspect of care. Though the vast majority of survey participants worry about the impact of their condition on their mental health, only 16% of participants identified having a mental health professional as part of their care team.
Key Recommendations Are:
- Healthcare providers should encourage collaborative discussions with patients to enable shared decision making about pain management and mental health.
- Healthcare providers should ask regularly about pain to support patients and understand the impact of pain on their lives.
- Governments and medical schools should work to increase education and knowledge about pain among medical students.
- Healthcare providers should screen patients for mental health issues.
- Interdisciplinary care that includes mental health support from psychotherapists and social workers should be considered part of essential care.
- Patient groups should develop and share mental health resources with the patient community.
