Psychological Factors Related to Fibromyalgia Syndrome Phenomenon

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is a chronic rheumatic syndrome characterized mainly by diffuse musculoskeletal pain. Its diagnosis is clinical and the presence of 15 to 18 tender specific painful body sites (tender points), with no specific laboratory alterations. It is often associated with other symptoms such as constant fatigue, swelling, morning stiffness, difficulty in memorizing and concentrating, mood swings, anxiety, and depression, among others. This condition mainly affects women, bringing a considerable negative impact on carriers. Pain perception is the result of multiple factors: biological, social, and psychological. This study sought through qualitative research to recognize the psychosocial factors related to fibromyalgia, as well as identify the possible meanings to suffering, seeking to contribute to elucidate the psychogenic phenomena related to the pain of Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Finally, to analyze if patients who are undergoing psychotherapy follow-up benefit from the symptoms caused by chronic pain of fibromyalgia. The result is divided into three categories: Implications of the diagnosis in social relations, repercussions of the diagnosis on the interviewees' quality of life, and psycho-affective symptoms experienced by the interviewed fibromyalgia patients. According to the research, it was observed physical limitation, adding severe pain, memory impairment, concentration, excessive fatigue, resulting in psychic suffering characterized as guilt, frustration, depression, anxiety, and self-image affected. In this study, ten female patients with a mean age of 40.2 years were interviewed, of which 30% are undergoing psychological follow-up, which resulted in greater acceptance of their comorbidity and coping with it.