Are illness perception and coping style associated with the delay between symptom onset and the first general practitioner consultation in early rheumatoid arthritis management? An exploratory study within the CareRA trial

Abstract

Aside from a lower SJC, a longer patient-related delay was correlated with a passive coping style, a strong conviction of symptom causality, poor expected treatment control, and a feeling of limited illness coherence. Psychosocial aspects influence individuals' help-seeking behaviour and are worth considering when aiming for a reduction in ERA treatment delay.