Profiles of well-being and their associations with self-forgiveness, forgiveness of others, and gratitude among patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Charzyńska, Edyta; Offenbächer, Martin; Halverson, Kjerstin; Hirsch, Jameson K; Kohls, Niko; Hanshans, Christian; Sirois, Fuschia; Toussaint, Loren

Abstract

Objectives
Patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) often experience poor well-being. Common limitations of the studies on this topic involve using variable-centred and deficit-based approaches. In this study, we used the person-centred approach to identify profiles of positive (life satisfaction and health status) and negative (depression, anxiety, fatigue, and stress) indicators of well-being among patients with RMDs. Moreover, we tested self-forgiveness, forgiveness of others, gratitude, and sociodemographics as contributors to latent profile membership.
Design
A cross-sectional questionnaire survey.
Methods
Using a latent profile analysis, we investigated well-being profiles among 892 patients with RMDs (759 patients with arthritis and 133 with fibromyalgia [FM]) and examined the correlates of latent profile membership.
Results
We identified four profiles of well-being: (1) 'life dissatisfaction' (9.2%), (2) 'high well-being' (43.4%), (3) 'suboptimal well-being' (35.2%), and (4) 'very poor well-being' (12.2%). Members of Profile 2 had higher levels of self-forgiveness and gratitude than members of the remaining profiles, had higher levels of forgiveness of others than Profile 3, and were older than members of Profile 4. Moreover, members of Profile 2 had a higher proportion of patients with arthritis relative to those with FM than all other profiles and men to women than Profile 4.
Conclusions
Patients with RMDs are heterogeneous in terms of well-being. Self-forgiveness, gratitude, and forgiveness of others may serve as psychological capital that enhances patients' well-being. Special attention should be paid to patients with FM, women, and younger patients since they can be especially susceptible to poor well-being.

Citation

Charzyńska, E., Offenbächer, M., Halverson, K., Hirsch, J. K., Kohls, N., Hanshans, C., Sirois, F., & Toussaint, L. (2025). Profiles of well-being and their associations with self-forgiveness, forgiveness of others, and gratitude among patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. British Journal of Health Psychology, 30(1), Article e12749. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12749

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 2, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Aug 26, 2024
• Publication Date: 2025-02
• Deposit Date: Sep 27, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 29, 2025
• Journal: British journal of health psychology
• Print ISSN: 1359-107X
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-8287
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: e12749
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12749
• Keywords: fibromyalgia, arthritis, well‐being, gratitude, forgiveness, person‐centred approach, latent profile analysis
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2864245