Anxiety and Depression Scales in Patients with Fibromyalgia: Correlation with Disease Symptomatology

Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and a broad range of associated symptoms. Among these, significant psychiatric comorbidities-particularly anxiety and depression-are frequently observed. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the severity of fibromyalgia and symptoms of anxiety and depression. We correlated the scores from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) with those from various fibromyalgia symptom questionnaires, including the Widespread Pain Index (WPI), the Symptom Severity Score (SS), and the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12). Methods: A sample of 59 FM patients treated at the Department of Internal Medicine at Clínica Universidad de Navarra was assessed using HADS, SS, SF-12, and WPI scales. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships among the scale scores. Results: The analysis revealed a statistically significant moderate correlation (r = 0.442; p < 0.01) between HADS and the Symptom Severity Score, a statistically significant strong negative correlation (r = -0.678; p < 0.01) between HADS and the Mental Component Summary (MCS-12), and a statistically significant moderate negative correlation (r = -0.417; p < 0.01) between the SS Score and the Physical Component Summary (PCS-12). Conclusions: These findings suggest a clear association between anxiety and depressive symptoms, as measured by HADS, and the severity of fibromyalgia.