Abstract
Although fatigue usually goes unnoticed, it is a symptom that poses great challenges to patients with fibromyalgia and is a strong limitation. The aim of this study is to identify and describe the variables involved in fatigue in nine different situations of the Goal Pursuit Questionnaire (GPQ) that may occur in the daily lives of women with fibromyalgia, according to an ABC (Antecedents–Behaviors–Consequences) model. This study followed a qualitative descriptive research method and a deductive–inductive hybrid approach based on a phenomenological paradigm. Twenty-six women with fibromyalgia participated in focus group discussions between February and March of 2018. Thematic content analysis was carried out from transcribed verbatim interviews. We identified nine major themes that emerged from the participants’ conversations: self-imposed duties, muscle fatigue, overwhelming feeling of tiredness, difficulty thinking, difficulty concentrating, negative emotions, lifestyle changes, affected everyday activities, and lack of motivation for daily activities and social interactions. We conclude that the ABC model allowed certain elements to emerge regarding the fatigue experience, highlighting its importance as a symptom in fibromyalgia. This additional analysis of the ABC model showed that fatigue can be described through the 4 U’s Rule, which is integrated by these four adjectives: (1) Unpredictable, (2) Uncontrollable, (3) Unseen, and (4) Unintelligible. Identifying these characteristics can contribute to a better understanding of fibromyalgia in addition to better treatment for these patients.
Highlights
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and tenderness [1].In 2010, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) [2] stated that a patient has to meet the following conditions to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia: [1] Widespread Pain Index (WPI) ≥7 and SymptomSeverity Scale (SSS) score ≥5 or WPI 3–6 and SymptomSeverity Scale (SSS) Scale Score ≥9; [2] symptoms have to have been present at a similar level for at least 3 months; and [3] the patient should not have a disorder that would otherwise explain the pain
In order to sum up these findings, and as an addition to prior research, we propose a tentative model of antecedents (A)—that contribute to fibromyalgia, behaviors (B)—fibromyalgia traits divided into biological or cognitive–emotional, and consequences (C)—affected vital spheres of patients of fatigue in fibromyalgia
Our aim in this study has been to identify and describe the variables involved in fatigue in nine different situations of the Goal Pursuit Questionnaire (GPQ) [21] that may occur in the daily lives of women with fibromyalgia according to the ABC model
Summary
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and tenderness [1].In 2010, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) [2] stated that a patient has to meet the following conditions to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia: [1] Widespread Pain Index (WPI) ≥7 and SymptomSeverity Scale (SSS) score ≥5 or WPI 3–6 and SSS Scale Score ≥9; [2] symptoms have to have been present at a similar level for at least 3 months; and [3] the patient should not have a disorder that would otherwise explain the pain. Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and tenderness [1]. In 2010, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) [2] stated that a patient has to meet the following conditions to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia: [1] Widespread Pain Index (WPI) ≥7 and Symptom. Severity Scale (SSS) score ≥5 or WPI 3–6 and SSS Scale Score ≥9; [2] symptoms have to have been present at a similar level for at least 3 months; and [3] the patient should not have a disorder that would otherwise explain the pain. In 2016, the cut-off points for the WPI scale measuring widespread pain changed, being currently set at 4–6 [3]. Public Health 2020, 17, 6224; doi:10.3390/ijerph17176224 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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