%0 Journal Article %A Aaron D. Crowson %A Robert C. Colligan %A Eric L. Matteson %A John M. Davis III %A Cynthia S. Crowson %T Explanatory Style in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Unrecognized Predictor of Mortality %D 2017 %R 10.3899/jrheum.160026 %J The Journal of Rheumatology %P 170-173 %V 44 %N 2 %X Objective. To determine whether pessimistic explanatory style altered the risk for and mortality of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods. The study included subjects from a population-based cohort with incident RA and a non-RA comparison cohort who completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.Results. Among 148 RA and 135 non-RA subjects, pessimism was associated with development of rheumatoid factor (RF)–positive RA. Pessimism was associated with an increased risk of mortality [HR 2.88 with similar magnitude to RF+ (HR 2.28)].Conclusion. Pessimistic explanatory style was associated with an increased risk of developing RA and increased mortality rate in patients with RA. %U https://www.jrheum.org/content/jrheum/44/2/170.full.pdf