Depression is associated with increased disease activity and higher disability in a large Italian cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Depression is a quite common comorbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is thought to influence its severity. This study aims to estimate, in a large cohort of Italian patients with RA, the prevalence of depression and to investigate the clinical correlates of depression in terms of disease activity and disability.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study enrolling 490 outpatients with RA (80% female, mean age 59.