[Personality characteristics of patients with fibromyalgia]

Fibromyalgia is a form of nonarticular rheumatism characterized by diffuse musculoskeletal pain. To investigate the personality characteristics of fibromyalgia, Ko's Mental Health Questionnaire was evaluated in 27 fibromyalgia patients and 23 normal controls. The fibromyalgia patients scored significantly higher than normal controls on hypochondriasis, depression, anxiety and compulsion, and significantly lower on independence. The fibromyalgia patients had 52% incidence of depression. Major depression occurred before onset of fibromyalgia at a mean of 5.5 years in 36% of the patients who experienced depression. The longer the duration of fibromyalgia, the higher the incidence of depression, and more numbers of tender points, indicating that the symptoms of fibromyalgia were more severe.