Psychological comparisons between women with rheumatoid arthritis and their nonarthritic sisters. Psychosomatic Medicine 27(2

Sixteen female patients with ctassic or definite rheumatoid arthritis were compared with their closest-aged, same-sexed healthy siblings on a variety of personality trait dimensions specifically hypothesized as important in arthritics by previous investigators. Both personality tests and interview ratings were utilized to measure the dimensions. Results indicated that arthritics consistently showed more com-pliance and subservience, nervousness and restlessness, depression, conservatism and security, and sensitivity (to anger) than their siblings. Similarities and differ-ences between these and previous results were discussed, as was a new measure-ment technique for testing hypotheses about possible situation-specific manifesta-tions of personality trait differences between groups. x HE IDEA THAT joint diseases may have arthritis concluded that previous re-"psychosomatic " aspects has a long and search indicated that arthritics tend to varied history. A recent paper,20 critic- overreact to their illness, and to be self-ally reviewing the literature on person- sacrificing, masochistic, rigid, moralistic, ality factors associated with rheumatoid conforming, self-conscious, shy, inhib-ited, perfectionistic, and interested i