Guo W, Guo HJ. Role of psychological intervention in pain management and quality of life of elderly patients with ankylosing spondylitis. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(11): 121390 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.121390]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hui-Juan Guo, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Changzhi People’s Hospital, No. 502 Changxing Middle Road, Luzhou District, Changzhi 046000, Shanxi Province, China. 465381116@qq.com
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Psychology
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research-article
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Guo W, Guo HJ. Role of psychological intervention in pain management and quality of life of elderly patients with ankylosing spondylitis. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(11): 121390 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.121390]
World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2026; 16(11): 121390 Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.121390
Role of psychological intervention in pain management and quality of life of elderly patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Wen Guo, Hui-Juan Guo
Wen Guo, Hui-Juan Guo, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Changzhi People’s Hospital, Changzhi 046000, Shanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Guo W designed the study, collected and analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript; Guo W and Guo HJ participated in the study’s conception and data collection, participated in study design and provided guidance; all authors read and approved the final version.
AI contribution statement: The authors declare that no AI tools were used in the development or writing of this manuscript and take full responsibility for its integrity, accuracy, and originality.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Changzhi People’s Hospital.
Informed consent statement: Patients were not required to give informed consent to the study because the analysis used anonymous clinical data that were obtained after each patient agreed to treatment by written consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: We have no financial relationships to disclose.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Hui-Juan Guo, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Changzhi People’s Hospital, No. 502 Changxing Middle Road, Luzhou District, Changzhi 046000, Shanxi Province, China. 465381116@qq.com
Received: May 22, 2026 Revised: June 26, 2026 Accepted: July 9, 2026 Published online: November 19, 2026 Processing time: 159 Days and 23 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The treatment and management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) among the elderly remain challenging, warranting the exploration of more effective intervention strategies.
AIM
To investigate the effects of psychological intervention on pain and quality of life (QoL) in elderly patients with AS.
METHODS
A total of 115 elderly patients with AS who sought medical care at Changzhi People’s Hospital between September 2022 and September 2025 were enrolled. Among them, 52 patients (control group) received routine intervention, while 63 patients (research group) received routine care plus psychological intervention. Data were collected on psychological status [Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS)], resilience Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD–RISC), functional exercise compliance, joint function [Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI)], pain [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)], and rehabilitation indicators, including chest expansion, occiput-to-wall distance (OWD), morning stiffness duration, and modified Schober test distance.
RESULTS
Post-intervention, the group demonstrated significantly lower SDS, SAS, BASFI, and VAS scores, as well as reduced OWD and morning stiffness duration, compared with the control group. Additionally, the research group exhibited higher post-intervention CD-RISC scores, greater functional exercise compliance, improved chest expansion and modified Schober test distance.
CONCLUSION
These findings support the clinical application of psychological intervention in the management of elderly patients with AS, given its ability to mitigate pain and improve QoL.
Core Tip: This retrospective study evaluated the effects of psychological intervention on pain management and quality of life (QoL) in elderly patients with ankylosing spondylitis using a comprehensive set of clinical and psychological indicators. The results showed that the combination of routine care with psychological interventions yielded superior clinical outcomes compared with routine care alone, contributing to improvements in mental health, joint function, functional exercise compliance, pain relief, and rehabilitation, and overall QoL.
