Background
Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome are chronic rheumatic diseases with very different clinical characteristics, but which share symptoms such as pain and fatigue. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of the disease on psychological adaptation in fibromyalgia compared with other rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome).
Methods
In a multicenter study, 165 women with rheumatic diseases (48 with fibromyalgia, 47 with rheumatoid arthritis, 47 with spondyloarthritis, 23 with Sjögren’s syndrome) completed the General Health Questionnaire–28 (emotional distress), Fatigue Severity Scale (fatigue), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (impact of the disease), Coping Strategies Questionnaire (coping), and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (comorbidity with DSM IV axis-I disorders). We used the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi2 test to compare comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders and to compare the impact of the disease on patients’ mental well-being and daily life and adjustment (coping strategies).
Results
Anxiety and depressive disorders were more common in fibromyalgia patients; they had higher scores on impact of the disease, physical symptoms, pain, and fatigue than rheumatoid arthritis patients and reported more fatigue than patients with spondyloarthritis. Overall, they used more maladaptive coping strategies (less use of distancing from pain than patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis, less use of ignoring pain sensations, and more use of catastrophizing than those with rheumatoid arthritis). No differences were found between fibromyalgia and Sjögren’s syndrome on impact and adjustment.
Conclusions
Compared with other rheumatic diseases, fibromyalgia has a greater impact on daily life; patients have more difficulty adjusting to the disease and generally use poorer strategies to cope with pain.
Based on the new 3 x 2 achievement goal model, the first purpose of this prospective research was to examine the relation of self-approach and self-avoidance goals to four educational outcomes, namely intentions of dropping out, educational satisfaction, self-efficacy, and achievement. We also considered the autonomous and controlled reasons underlying these self-based goals in order to investigate whether self-approach and self-avoidance goals, as well as their underlying reasons, related to outcomes. Data was collected from 330 students, at two time points. Our findings showed that self-approach and self-avoidance goals did not explain changes in outcomes, with the exception of the significant relationship between selfavoidance goals and educational satisfaction. The present results also revealed that the autonomous and controlled motivations underlying achievement goals were more strongly related to changes in all four educational outcomes than was the endorsement of goals themselves. Theoretical implications and research perspectives are discussed.
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