Emotional well-being at diagnosis may indicate future mental health risk in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: data from the German inception cohort ICON
Authors' conclusion
Poor emotional functioning at the start of care for JIA may be an indicator of future mental health issues.
Study context
- Population
- Young people with newly diagnosed juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in Germany (ICON cohort) and healthy peers, both ≥13 years, assessed at 7-year and 9-year follow-ups
- Participants
- 344 vs 224
- Exposure
- Patients with JIA vs healthy peers
- Patientsn = 344
- Controlsn = 224reference
- Outcome
- Prevalence of depressive (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale-7) symptoms
- Follow-up
- 7 years and 9 years after inclusion
Methodological detailsmulticentre, cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, healthy peer controls
- Multicentre
- Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses
- Healthy peer controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Moderate to severe symptoms of depression · 7-year/9-year follow-up
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety · 7-year/9-year follow-up
- Emotional functioning 3 months after diagnosis, patients with vs without relevant mental health problems at long-term follow-up · reduced emotional functioning
- P < 0.001
- Physical and emotional functioning after the first year of specialised care, patients with vs without relevant mental health problems at long-term follow-up · lower physical and emotional functioning
- P < 0.001
Physician-reported disease activity in patients with vs without moderate to severe psychological distress · inclusion and follow-up
- Not significantly higher in patients with moderate to severe psychological distress, who reported worse patient-reported outcomes
Original publication
Emotional well-being at diagnosis may indicate future mental health risk in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: data from the German inception cohort ICON. RMD Open. Published 9 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →