The role of pain, perseverative cognition and goal adjustment in vasculitis associated fatigue.

Fatigue is a common symptom associated with Vasculitis and contributes significantly to impaired quality of life. Motivational Control Theory (Hockey, 2013) suggests a role for perseverative cognition and goal adjustment in fatigue. Therefore, this study investigated these potential predictors of fatigue in individuals with Vasculitis. 249 participants completed online questionnaires assessing fatigue, perseverative cognition, goal disengagement and goal reengagement, in addition to demographic and disease related variables. Hierarchical regression analysis found only pain, sleep disturbance, disease activity and perseverative cognition to significantly predict fatigue. This highlights the importance of psychological factors in determining fatigue in those with Vasculitis.