A young adult and an older adult, both with light skin, sitting on a bench together, holding hands. Un jeune adulte et une personne âgée, tous deux à la peau claire, assis ensemble sur un banc, se tenant la main.Some people who live with arthritis have a diagnosable mental health condition, while others may find that their mental wellbeing deteriorates as their arthritis symptoms worsen. As such, it’s important to include care for your mental health as part of your overall treatment plan if you are living with a chronic disease like arthritis. Understanding the link between your mind and your body is the first step in developing self-management strategies that will help you take good care of yourself.

Arthritis can affect more than just your joints – it can also influence mood, energy, overall wellbeing, and the ability to participate in daily life activities. For people living with arthritis, painful flare-ups may make it difficult to concentrate or feel motivated. It might make it difficult to complete otherwise routine tasks and may limit the ability to work or maintain relationships with family and friends.

Chronic pain can also interfere with sleep, leading to increased fatigue. At times, symptoms may require canceling plans, which can feel frustrating or disappointing for both the person with arthritis and others involved. In addition, concerns about future uncertainty and change, along with demands of attending numerous health appointments and managing medication side effects, can put further strain on energy and emotional reserves.

Relationships between arthritis and mental health

Many research studies have found that people with arthritis are more likely to experience mental health challenges than their peers who do not live with arthritis. People with many types of inflammatory arthritis are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression compared to the general population. Some studies have also reported a link between inflammation and the development of mental health conditions. This means that common inflammatory processes may underly depression and anxiety, as well as some forms of arthritis. Researchers have also found that people living with inflammatory arthritis and depression or anxiety often do not receive adequate treatment for their mental health.

It’s clear that the stresses of living with arthritis can negatively impact mental health. But it is also true that mental health challenges can worsen your arthritis symptoms. Research about inflammatory arthritis and mental health conditions has suggested that depression or anxiety can negatively impact remission rates and disease outcomes. Certain mental health conditions can also influence how pain is perceived, sometimes leading to a higher sensitivity to pain or causing pain to feel more intense or unpleasant. Additionally, stressful events, particularly interpersonal stressors (like relationship and family troubles) may worsen symptoms of arthritis.

Difficulties with mental health can also lead to relying on coping behaviours that may offer short-term relief, but are related to worsening arthritis symptoms over time, such as avoiding physical and social activities or engaging in higher-risk alcohol and substance use. On the other hand, when you feel more in control of your pain and adopt active coping strategies, the sense of achievement and feeling less helpless can lead to less pain and more optimal mental health.

Impacts on different groups

Different groups of people are also affected by mental health challenges in different ways. Young people are more likely to experience mental health challenges than adults, and that likelihood increases for young people who also live with a chronic disease like arthritis. Up to 40% of youth with arthritis experience significant symptoms of anxiety, depression, or panic disorder related to arthritis symptoms, procedures, or disease flares. Caregivers, including parents and guardians of children with arthritis, may also experience stress and a decline in their mental health due to their role in managing their loved one’s arthritis, including administering medications and attending health care appointments. Older adults, those with more active disease, or those with limited mobility may be more likely to be socially isolated, which contributes to poorer mental and physical health outcomes.

Arthritis and Social Connection

Three people with medium and medium-light skin wearing respirator masks and walking down a paved path together. One person is using a rollator for support and another is using a cane. Trois personnes à la peau moyennement claire ou légèrement claire, portant des masques respiratoires, marchent ensemble sur un chemin pavé. L’une d’elles s’appuie sur un déambulateur et une autre sur une canne.
Photo by Gritchelle Fallesgon, for Disabled and Here, a disability-led stock image and interview series celebrating disabled Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC).

If you live with arthritis, it can be easy to feel like the people around you don’t, or can’t, comprehend what you’re going through. Arthritis can also make it difficult to participate in social activities. There is a significant amount of evidence that people living with disabilities face higher rates of loneliness and isolation and lower levels of social support than people who are not currently disabled.

Humans are social creatures – we rely on each other for care and support. Researchers have found that social connection is a fundamental determinant of our health, happiness, and longevity. This means that, like nutritious food and physical activity, social connection is an important aspect of overall health and wellbeing. An international team of researchers, community members, and public health experts developed a set of public health guidelines that provide evidence-based advice for fostering healthy social lives at the individual and community levels.

The guidelines for individuals include working towards:

  • Making social connection a priority throughout your life
  • Cultivating social confidence in yourself and others
  • Building a strong social network with a variety of kinds of relationships
  • Investing time and energy in getting enough social connection
  • Maintaining and deepening your relationships with others
  • Seeking out face-to-face interactions when possible, and prioritizing technology that helps you meaningfully connect with others over more passive technology use

They also acknowledge that social connection is a collective effort, and our overall social wellbeing is the product of many factors, including some that are beyond our control as individuals. Our social experiences are shaped by many factors, including our biology, economic, political, and environmental influences, and cultural norms. One of their six community-level guidelines is to “improve accessibility and inclusion for all people.”

It’s important to find ways to connect with others who help you feel understood and seen while ensuring your accessibility needs are met. Balancing in-person and digital methods of connecting can help make socializing more accessible. Digital technologies can provide opportunities for social connection that are not limited by physical mobility, and it’s important to prioritize more active uses of technology, such as phone or video calls with loved ones, over more passive uses like scrolling on social media. If in-person connection is accessible to you, it might feel good to get together with a family member for a short walk in a park with paved pathways or invite a friend over for an evening of playing board games or crafting.

Arthritis and Grief

A person standing near a large window, looking out at the trees surrounding the house. Une personne debout près d’une grande fenêtre, regardant les arbres qui entourent la maison. You might associate the concept of grief with the death of someone close to you. But grief is a natural response that can be brought on by any sense of loss, and it’s a common response to being diagnosed with a chronic disease.

Receiving a diagnosis of arthritis can lead to many different emotions. You may mourn the loss of abilities that you had prior to living with arthritis or notice a change in the ways you’re used to living. You may also be unsure how to navigate the world with a chronic disease. Some days you might find yourself wishing everything was the same as before. Other days you may be angry, sad, or feel hopeless. It’s important to know that all of the feelings you experience when dealing with a new diagnosis are normal, and usually ease over time.

You can talk to your doctor or another health care professional if you’re experiencing these feelings for an extended period of time, or you’re not sure that your grieving process is normal. An outside perspective can be beneficial as you adjust to your condition and the changes that it may bring to your life.

Contributors

This mental health resource was developed and last reviewed in March 2026 with expert advice from:
Dr. Joshua A. Rash, PhD, RPsych (NL), R.D.Psych. (SK)
Memorial University of Newfoundland; University of Saskatchewan
Marg Smit-Vandezande, MSW, RSW
Arthritis Rehabilitation and Education Program, Arthritis Society Canada
Nikolas Harris, MSW, RSW
Senior Manager, Mission, Arthritis Society Canada

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