Demographic features, clinical characteristics, and invalidation scores of the 562 participants. Pain and loneliness were assessed using a 0–10 numerical rating scale. Happiness and personality traits were assessed using composite scores, both varying from 1 to 7. Invalidation was assessed using the Illness Invalidation Inventory, varying from 1 to 5. In all cases, higher values represent higher levels of the correspondent characteristic. Values are mean ± SD or n (%).
| Characteristics | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 41.4 ± 11.7 | |
| Female | 482 (85.8) | |
| Marital status | ||
| Single | 156 (27.7) | |
| Married/partnered | 357 (63.5) | |
| Divorced | 43 (7.7) | |
| Widowed | 6 (1.1) | |
| Education level, yrs | ||
| ≤ 4 | 12 (2.1) | |
| 5–12 | 225 (40.0) | |
| > 12 | 325 (57.9) | |
| Work status | ||
| Employed | 314 (55.9) | |
| Unemployed | 212 (37.7) | |
| Retired | 36 (6.4) | |
| Self-reported diagnosis | ||
| RA | 124 (22.1) | |
| SpA | 85 (15.1) | |
| SLE | 112 (19.9) | |
| FM | 241 (42.9) | |
| Pain, 0–10 | 5.5 ± 2.6 | |
| Loneliness, 0–10 | 4.1 ± 3.3 | |
| Happiness, 1–7 | 4.4 ± 1.5 | |
| Personality traits, 1–7 | ||
| Extroversion | 4.6 ± 1.7 | |
| Agreeableness | 5.7 ± 1.2 | |
| Conscientiousness | 5.8 ± 1.2 | |
| Emotional stability | 3.2 ± 1.5 | |
| Openness | 5.4 ± 1.3 | |
| Source of invalidation | Discounting | Lack of Understanding |
| Family | 2.3 ± 1.0 | 2.5 ± 1.1 |
| Health professionals | 1.9 ± 0.9 | 2.2 ± 1.0 |
RA: rheumatoid arthritis; SpA: spondyloarthritis; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; FM: fibromyalgia.