Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease affecting organs such as connective tissues, skin, joints, and kidneys. Lupus is most commonly diagnosed in younger age groups. It could lead to fatal complications and organ damage. Lupus is currently classified as a rare disease with no cure. Lupus patients experience physical symptoms that depend on the organ that is affected, but they also experience negative emotional symptoms and experiences. Their quality of life is negatively impacted by physical dysfunction and psychosocial factors such as anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem. Anxiety and depression have a biological connection with lupus, and about 40% of patients with lupus also have anxiety and depression. Lupus patients feel the most anxious when they are unable to control their physical functions and become worried about the progression of their disease. Quality of life in patients with lupus has been worse than in patients who have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or myocardial infarction.
A previous study in Korea assessed patients with lupus' quality of life. They found a mean quality of life score of 63 out of 100, which shows an average quality of life. This mean quality of life score is around the same range in patients with lupus in Britain, Turkey, and Mexico. However, patients with lupus reported a poorer quality of life when they had trouble walking and engaging in self-care. They reported a higher quality of life when they could participate in social activities. Anxiety, disease activity, depression, and duration since diagnosis were the most significant contributing factors towards a patient's quality of life. There have been other studies that support depression as the most decisive factor towards lower quality of life instead of anxiety.
Mental health should be made a high priority for patients with lupus. There should be more resources and supportive care given to patients with lupus and any chronic disease to improve their quality of life. Quality of care is also dependent on healthcare interactions, and a higher quality of care could improve quality of life due to numerous hospital and doctor's visits. Other factors contribute to quality of life, such as disease onset, severity of symptoms, complications, and medications, but improving mental health could help raise quality of life. Care teams can provide helpful resources to patients by enabling those unable to engage in self-care, providing more social activities, and motivating patients to pursue their careers are some ways the quality of life can be improved. Lupus is a rare chronic disease but has brutal and devastating symptoms at times. More research should be done to enhance the quality of life for patients with lupus and any chronic illness.
Arora, S., Katz, P., Nika, A., Sequeira, W., Block, J. A., Yazdany, J., Yelin, E., & Jolly, M. (2023). Does higher quality of care in systemic lupus erythematosus improve quality of life? Arthritis Care & Research, 75(6), 1198–1205. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.24979
Cho, O.-H., Hwang, K.-H., & Lim, J. (2021). The influence of anxiety and depression on Korean Lupus Patients’ quality of life. Nursing Practice Today. https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v8i3.5936
Mental health for people with chronic illnesses is an important topic. I read an article from the Journal of Mental Health Counseling that discusses the significance of spirituality (a search for meaning, not necessarily through religion) for chronic illness patients. The article suggests that the nature of chronic illness causes many people to seek out some form of spirituality to add meaning to their lives. Counseling practices that work with this spirituality and leave space for clients to explore spirituality can be beneficial to the quality of life of people with chronic illnesses. (Nichols, L. M., & Hunt, B. (2011). The Significance of Spirituality for Individuals with Chronic Illness: Implications for Mental Health Counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 33(1), 51–66. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.33.1.025544189523j738)
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