Depression with comorbid juvenile-onset fibromyalgia syndrome novel treatment plan using interpersonal psychotherapy:...

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) affects 2% to 4% of people, with increasing prevalence in Saudi Arabia reaching 13.4%. FMS can occur in adolescents, known as juvenile-onset fibromyalgia (JFM) with comorbidities including depression, anxiety, and psychological stress. Our patient presented to the child and adolescent psychiatry clinic at King Saud University Hospital Medical City. A year before coming to our clinic, at the age of 15 she was initially diagnosed with JFM followed by a comorbid persistent depressive disorder.

As a novel treatment method, a combination treatment approach was used, including a pharmacological intervention with Duloxetine, and a non-pharmacological intervention with interpersonal psychotherapy for adolescents. She completed 16 weeks of therapy while monitoring for duloxetine response and side effects.

Depressive symptoms were in remission by treatment's end and continued to be in her first month posttreatment follow-up, and the FMS symptoms were also controlled.

Our present case highlights a combined approach to treat depression and JFM in adolescents as a novel intervention method thus we strongly recommend utilizing it for similar cases.