High prevalence of fibromyalgia among Israeli school teachers

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM), characterised by widespread pain and fatigue, has frequently been associated with stress in various models, including workplace related stress. In the current study we have evaluated the prevalence of FM symptoms among Israeli school teachers and have attempted to correlate such symptoms with work-related stress.

Individuals, all currently employed as school teachers in Israel, were recruited to the study. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire evaluating symptoms of FM, based on the current diagnostic criteria, which include the widespread pain index (WPI) and the symptom severity scale (SSS). Participants were further questioned regarding stressful experiences during their work and about post-traumatic symptoms as well as regarding work performance and motivation.

321 participants were recruited (79.4% female, 20.6 male). 30 individuals (9.3%) of the sample fulfilled current criteria for a diagnosis of FM, with a rate of 11.4% among females and 1.5% among males. While specific symptoms such as fatigue and irritable bowel symptoms were negatively correlated with work performance, no significant difference was found between teachers with or without fibromyalgia regarding work attendance and performance. FM symptoms were strongly correlated with work-related stress and were strongly correlated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms. Motivation to work was significantly lower among teachers fulfilling FM criteria, but other performance-related parameters did not differ between teachers fulfilling or not fulfilling FM criteria.

Fibromyalgia symptoms are highly prevalent among Israeli school teachers, and may be related to stress encountered in the classroom. These results are relevant both for physicians treating individuals involved in educational careers as well as for educators and decision-makers involved in planning and managing educational strategies.