Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness Characterize Fibromyalgic Patients and the Symptom Severity

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Rheumatology
• Psychology

Background:

• Fibromyalgia (FM) is associated with peculiar personality traits, potentially influencing patient outcomes.
• Understanding these traits is crucial for personalized treatment strategies in FM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate personality characteristics in Italian Fibromyalgia patients.
• To explore clustering of FM patients based on personality and clinical factors.
• To identify potential links between personality traits and symptom severity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study comparing 87 female FM patients with 83 healthy females.
• Data collected via self-assessment questionnaires including Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and Short-Form-36 Health Survey.
• In-person interviews for FM patients and telephone contact for healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Fibromyalgia patients showed significant differences in Harm Avoidance (HA), Novelty Seeking (NS), and Self-Directedness (SD) compared to controls.
• Two clusters identified: Cluster 1 (n=37) had higher HA, lower RD, SD, and Cooperativeness, with more severe FM and anxious-depressive symptoms.
• Cluster 2 (n=46) exhibited different personality and clinical profiles.

Conclusions:

• Confirms specific personality traits in the Fibromyalgia population.
• High HA and low SD characterize a subgroup of FM patients with greater anxious-depressive symptomatology.
• Personality assessment can aid diagnosis and tailor therapeutic interventions for Fibromyalgia.