It's long been known that mental conditions such as anxiety and depression often accompany arthritis.

It's long been known that mental conditions such as anxiety and depression often accompany arthritis. But it may not have been until a 2012 study that researchers fully understood the extent of the problem.

The study, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research and reported in the Wiley Online Library, evaluated nearly 1,800 adults ages 45 and older who had doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Participants were interviewed to determine their mental status. Researchers found that 31 percent of respondents reported anxiety and 18 percent said they had depression. Some had both conditions. Despite nearly one-third of participants reporting a mental health disorder, only half of those individuals sought help for it in the year leading up to the study.

How anxiety and depression could worsen arthritis

Chronic pain and mental health disorders often go hand in hand, and each may be the forerunner of the other. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America explained that muscle soreness and pain are some of the most common symptoms of the mental conditions it specializes in.

Anxiety and depression could make arthritis symptoms worse through a sort of domino effect. The Arthritis Foundation says that physical activity helps people manage their weight and improve mobility, both beneficial for managing arthritis pain. But if you feel nervous about working out with arthritis pain, your anxiety may prevent you from hitting the gym. That may help to worsen both your arthritis and your mental state.

Talking to your doctor about mental health

Many people with mental health conditions go undiagnosed. Patients may not recognize the signs in themselves. And there are still undeserved stigmas associated with mental health that may make patients less inclined to talk about depression or anxiety with their doctors.

Dr. Michael Clark, director of the chronic pain treatment program at Johns Hopkins University, sheds some light on how physicians can change this trend. He told the Arthritis Foundation that doctors must recognize that symptoms of mental disorders aren't an inevitable result of living with chronic pain. They can be treated separately from conditions like arthritis.

If you suffer from arthritis, it's important to communicate with your doctor about both your physical and mental symptoms. Anxiety, sadness, stress, depression, and fatigue shouldn't interfere with your everyday life. If they do, speak with your physician about your risk for a mental health disorder, and possible treatments.

For more arthritis and mental health:

Handling Depression and Arthritis
Arthritis & Depression: Recognize the Signs
Researchers Suggest Link Between Mood, Arthritic Pain