Coping strategies and perceived social support in fibromyalgia syndrome: Relationship with alexithymia

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by high levels of psychological distress and alexithymia, a personality disposition affecting emotional self-awareness. The main aim of the present study was to investigate for the first time the relationship between alexithymia and coping strategies on the one hand, and alexithymia and perceived social support on the other, in a sample of FM patients. To reach this aim, 153 FM patients completed a battery of tests assessing coping strategies, perceived social support, alexithymia, psychological distress and pain intensity. Four regression analyses were performed to assess whether alexithymia was still a significant predictor of coping strategies and perceived social support, after controlling for psychological distress. High levels of both psychological distress and alexithymia were found in our sample of FM patients. Regarding coping strategies, FM patients reported higher scores on problem-focused coping, with respect to the other two coping strategies. The regression analyses showed that the externally-oriented thinking factor of alexithymia significantly explained both problem- and emotion-focused coping, while the difficulty-describing feelings factor of alexithymia proved to be a significant predictor of perceived social support. Only the variance of dysfunctional coping ceased to be uniquely explained by alexithymia (difficulty identifying feelings factor), after controlling for psychological distress, particularly anxiety. These results highlight a negative relationship between alexithymia and both the use of effective coping strategies and the levels of perceived social support in FM patients. An adequate assessment of both alexithymia and psychological distress should therefore be included in clinical practice with these patients.

Pain appraisal and quality of life in 108 outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis

“…Coping is one of the most frequently used concepts related to the behavioral strategies used to control stress (Bussing, Ostermann, Neugebauer & Heusser, ; Lazarus, ; Tan, Teo, Anderson & Jensen, ). In comparison with patients with CP, such as those with fibromyalgia (Di Tella et al ., ; Lledó‐Boyer, Pastor‐Mira, Pons‐Calatayud, López‐Roig, Rodríguez‐Marín & Bruehl, ), the role of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies is not clear in patients with RA (Jorge, Gerard & Revel, ). In the current study, the main coping strategies used to deal with pain were Task‐Persistence and Self‐Statements (i.e., purposefully thinking positive thoughts about the pain problem), which are considered as wellness‐focused strategies (Jensen, Turner, Romano & Strom, ).…”

Personality Traits in Fibromyalgia (FM): Does FM Personality Exists? A Systematic Review

“…Nineteen of these studies [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 19 , 23 , 25 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 33 - 41 ] add to this basic definition the presence of fatigue, sleep disorders, cognitive impairment and emotional distress. Furthermore, 5 studies [ 5 , 19 , 29 , 35 , 36 ] highlighted the presence of sensitivity to tender points (11/18) as described by ACR criteria for FM diagnosis in 1990 [ 21 ] while only two studies referred explicitly to the new ACR criteria [ 13 ] for its definition and diagnosis. From a methodological perspective, all studies enrolled participants who had been diagnosed with FM: In particular, 7 studies [ 5 , 19 , 24 , 26 , 33 , 34 , 41 ] recruited participants among those who had been diagnosed by expert rheumatologists and fibromyalgia hospital unit outpatients.…”

“…From a methodological perspective, all studies enrolled participants who had been diagnosed with FM: In particular, 7 studies [ 5 , 19 , 24 , 26 , 33 , 34 , 41 ] recruited participants among those who had been diagnosed by expert rheumatologists and fibromyalgia hospital unit outpatients. In three studies [ 35 , 36 , 39 ], participants were selected from previously used databases. Ten studies clearly used the ACR criteria to select participants with FM; in one study the participants were described as people who meet the ACR criteria, without other specifications [ 37 ], 7 referring to ACR criteria of 1990 [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 23 , 25 , 29 , 39 ] and only 3 used the 2010 criteria [ 28 , 38 , 30 ].…”

Alexithymia and Psychopathology in Patients Suffering From Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Arising Differences and Correlations to Tailoring Therapeutic Strategies

“…The presence of somatic symptoms in the general population of alexithymic patients is well known and is basically associated to a worsening of painful syndromes ( 66 , 67 ) and also to a worse condition in the forms of functional intestinal syndromes ( 68 ). The presence of “difficulty in identifying emotions” and “externally-oriented thinking” are associated with a reduced quality of life with a high correlation to anxious and depressive symptoms, somatisations, and reduced social functioning ( 69 – 71 ).…”