The intrafamilial transmission of rheumatoid arthritis--IV : Recalled parent-child relations by rheumatoid arthritics and controls

Abstract

The study is based on data from three survey interviews, taken four months apart, on adults over 30 yr old. Subjects were drawn both from a National sample of the United States and a Clinic sample in Ann Arbor. The results indicate that females with rheumatoid arthritis, in contrast to controls without RA, reported mothers who were more arbitrary in authority, and toward whom the daughter felt more covert hostility but showed less overt aggressiveness. Nevertheless, RA females rated their mothers as strong role models as did the non-RA women. No such differences with the father were evident. Female RA's also showed the lowest childhood self-esteem score, compared to female controls and males. By contrast, RA males reported a more positive image of the mother toward whom less covert hostility was felt. No such differences in the father-child relations were seen.