Coping Styles, Anger, Social Support, and Suicide Risk of Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Abstract

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that fibromyalgia [FMS] patients have certain personality characteristics. The objective of the present study was to examine a number of personality traits in these patients.Methods: Four groups of female patients participated in the study, 51 FMS patients, 51 rheumatoid arthritis patients, 50 lower back patients and 50 healthy women. The participants were administered a battery of self-report paper-and-pencil instruments measuring coping styles, state and trait anger, suicide risk, and social support.Results: The results showed that the personality traits studied here were similar between the three chronic pain patient groups. These patients scored significantly higher in the coping style of avoidance and on the measure of anger than the healthy women. Concerning the other variables no differences were observed. Specifically, the FMS group did not differ significantly from the other patient groups on any of the variables.Conclusions:The findings indicate that the specific personality traits studied here are not relevant for the FMS and other traits have to be examined. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:

Are perceived muscle tension, electromyographic hyperactivity and personality traits correlated in the fibromyalgia syndrome?

“…A higher anger (i.e. state anger and anger turned inward) has been reported in patients with pain (FMS, rheumatoid arthritis and low back pain) compared with healthy subjects (25). In idiopathic pain patients indirect aggression has been found to be lower than in age-and sexmatched healthy controls (26).…”

Suicidality in chronic pain: a review of the prevalence, risk factors and psychological links

“…Suicidal ideation was more prominent among people reporting chronic abdominal pain, whereas people diagnosed with neuropathic pain were less likely to experience suicidal ideation (Magni et al 1998;Smith et al 2004 b). Finally a study by Amir et al (2000) found an overall elevation on a measure of suicidal risk in a mixed group of patients with chronic pain, when compared to controls, but identified no difference between patients with fibromyalgia and controls when these individuals were examined separately. Together, these findings highlight the importance of studying the effect of various subtypes of pain on suicidality individually.…”

Evidence for Sex Differences in the Relationships of Pain, Mood, and Disability

“…The STAXI has been validated on a variety of normal and clinical populations, has demonstrated good psychometric properties, and has been associated with greater chronic pain intensity in diverse patient populations. 2,16,24,37,47,68 …”