Personality and fibromyalgia syndrome

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Rheumatology
• Medical Research

Background:

• Fibromyalgia is a complex condition often accompanied by psychological distress.
• The relationship between personality traits and fibromyalgia is not fully understood.
• Existing research often conflates personality characteristics with psychological distress symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the contribution of personality characteristics to the onset, maintenance, or modulation of fibromyalgia.
• To investigate associations between fibromyalgia and personality traits.

Main Methods:

• A literature review of studies published between 1967 and 2012.
• Searched Medline and PsychINFO databases using terms like "fibromyalgia," "personality," "trait psychology," and "individual differences."

Main Results:

• No specific fibromyalgia personality profile was identified.
• Many fibromyalgia patients exhibit personality traits linked to psychological distress, such as catastrophizing and poor coping.
• These traits can facilitate stress responses that may contribute to fibromyalgia mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Personality is proposed as a key modulator of an individual's response to psychological stressors.
• Certain personality types may enhance the translation of stressors into physiological responses implicated in fibromyalgia.
• Further research is needed to clarify the precise role of personality in fibromyalgia.