Objectives: This paper reviews the literature on arthritis and the family in two areas, juvenile rheumatic diseases and adult-onset arthritis.
Methods: All published papers related to arthritis and the family were identified through a Medline search and through hand searching of the major rheumatology journals.
Results: The literature on the family and juvenile arthritis is somewhat inconsistent, in that some studies demonstrate significant psychosocial impact among children and families, while others find no differences in children who have arthritis compared to normative data or to siblings. Lack of consistency in the literature is largely related to methodologic problems, as most studies are retrospective reports, consisting of relatively small, nonrepresentative samples of children with rheumatic diseases. The influence of adult-onset rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis on family role functioning and the performance of household responsibilities is well documented, and a body of literature on the importance of family functioning to well-being is accumulating.
Conclusions: Future studies should expand sample sizes in order to investigate family impact on juvenile rheumatoid arthritis more thoroughly. More studies on the factors that contribute to improved family functioning and subsequent improvements in well-being, especially in conditions other than rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, are needed. Intervention studies to reduce perceived pain and functional disability in arthritis by incorporating a family-systems perspective are particularly lacking.