Personality Styles in Fibromyalgia and Depression
Author Information
Author(s): Hans M Nordahl, Tore C Stiles
Primary Institution: NTNU, Norway
Hypothesis
The study aims to assess the cognitive style of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) compared to those with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls.
Conclusion
The study suggests that a depressotypic personality style is related to depressive disorder, but not to fibromyalgia syndrome.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with FMS have a sociotropic personality style similar to patients with MDD.
- FMS patients without a history of MDD have a cognitive style similar to healthy controls.
- Depression severity was significantly higher in patients with MDD compared to both FMS patients and healthy controls.
Takeaway
People with fibromyalgia may think differently than those with depression, and not all fibromyalgia patients are depressed.
Methodology
The study compared personality styles using the Sociotropy and Autonomy Scale and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale among three groups: patients with FMS, patients with MDD, and healthy controls.
Potential Biases
The recruitment of fibromyalgia patients from a member association may have biased the sample towards increased psychiatric pathology.
Limitations
The patient selection may have led to biased sampling, limiting the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
The study included 44 patients with FMS, 43 patients with MDD, and 41 healthy controls, with a majority being female.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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