Psychological aspects of fibromyalgia: research vs. clinician impressions

This study was designed to compare the psychological features of patients with fibromyalgia, as described in the research literature, with physicians' clinical impressions.

Using a survey method, physicians (n=44) and physicians-in-training (n=54) were polled regarding their clinical impressions of 18 psychological features, culled from the research literature, which are attributed to fibromyalgia patients.

Over 90% of respondents reported that fatigue, muscle tension, pain proneness, depression and anxiety were clinically associated with fibromyalgia patients "frequently" or "very frequently." The majority of respondents (52%) endorsed 10 of 18 items as occurring "frequently" or "very frequently."

Physicians and physicians-in-training appear to observe in fibromyalgia patients over half of the psychological features identified in the research literature. For the remainder of items, we discuss possible explanations for the disparity.