Personality traits on the basis of the Temperament and Character Inventory in female fibromyalgia syndrome patients

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate personality traits in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients by means of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and, furthermore, to relate the personality traits to the presence of psychiatric disorders. Thirty-eight female FMS patients and sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects (HCS) completed the 238-item self-rating personality inventory TCI. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) I was used to determine psychiatric disorders. To expand the diagnostic procedure for depression, the self-rating Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was also used. The results of the TCI rating showed that 82% of the FMS patients had a temperament type with high Harm Avoidance. The FMS patients scored significantly higher than the HCS in this variable (P=0.0001), regardless of concomitant psychiatric disorder. High Harm Avoidance is suggested to be strongly correlated to anxiety and depression. Thirty-seven per cent of the FMS patients fulfilled the SCID I criteria for major or minor depression, and 16% were diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder. Forty-five per cent were depressed according to the BDI; however, 26% were of a milder degree. The results suggest that the FMS patients are characterized by a partly inherited tendency to react with pessimistic thoughts and increased uneasiness to everyday and future problems. This in combination with additionally perceived prolonged distress may lead to excessive anxiety/distress, tension, and fatigability. The personality trait Harm Avoidance may therefore be part of the pathophysiologic mechanisms in the development of FMS.