Efficacy of psychoeducational interventions on pain, depression, and disability in people with arthritis: a meta-analysis.

Meta-analysis is a technique which combines data from several properly and similarly designed controlled studies so as to increase the power of the relevant statistical analysis. Fifteen studies on the effects of psychoeducational interventions on disability, pain and depression in individuals with chronic rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis were analyzed by this method. The results indicate that patient education can indeed contribute to improving the health status of such patients.