Fibromyalgia: Influence of Depressive Symptoms in Coping with Pain

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate how depressiveness affects coping of patients with fibromyalgia. It was assumed that depressiveness has an influence on coping, self-efficacy und motivation for therapy. Methods: A total of 251 patients with fibromyalgia. The investigation started at the outset of their stay in the clinic, and both patients with and without depressiveness (HADS-D cut-off >= 11) were examined. To investigate the differences, multivariate variance models were used for cognitive and behavioural coping, self-efficacy and motivation for therapy. Data were collected using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), German pain questionnaire (DSF), Questionnaire for assessment of level of coping with pain (FESV) and the German version of the Pain stages of change questionnaires (FF-STABS). Results and conclusions: Comparison of the groups shows significantly lower means for the fibromyalgia patients with depressive symptoms concerning perceived self-competence, cognitive restructuring. and countertraded activity. The same results can be observed for self-efficacy. Analysis of the motivation for therapy in the carefreeness scale shows significantly higher means in the fibromyalgia patients with depressive symptoms. In the maintenance scale, however, lower means are observed in this patient group. As fibromyalgia patients with depressive symptoms show greater strain on account of their psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms should be dealt with during treatment.