Anxiety-related cognitive constructs and Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Silvia Bonini, Melania Continanza, Cristina Rigacci, Maria Teresa Turano, Elena Maria Puliti, Anna Finocchietti
Fibromyalgia syndrome is characterized by chronic, diffuse musculoskeletal pain. In the last decade
several studies have focused on analysis of the psychological factors involved in the onset and
the evolution of this syndrome. Among these, anxiety appears to affect the intensity of pain with
consequent effects on quality of life. This study explores some psychological variables, in particular
two anxiety-related cognitive constructs (worry and need for control), not yet explored in fibromyalgic
patients, and a negative pain-related belief («pain-catastrophising»). A battery of tests, composed of
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Anxiety Control Questionnaire, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Pain Related
Control Scale, Pain Related Self-Statement Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Fibromyalgia Impact
Questionnaire, was administered to 43 fibromyalgia patients and 43 healthy controls. With reference to
the clinical sample, the most original and relevant data for the definition of a cognitive-behavioural
intervention strategy concerns pain-catastrophising, which directly impacts on quality of life and
mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and quality of life. Furthermore, we believe that the
constructs of worry and the need for control, which in this study discriminated the psychological
profiles of the fibromyalgic patients from the healthy subjects, may be an important focus for treatment
from a cognitive-behavioural prospective.
Keywords
Fibromyalgia, Control, Worry, Pain-catastrophising, Quality of life.
