A comparison of behavioral and educational interventions for fibromyalgia
P M Nicassio1, V Radojevic, M H Weisman
1California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego 92121-3725, USA.
Objective:
To compare a comprehensive behavioral intervention with an education/control condition in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia (FM), and to explore the role of mediators of clinical improvement in both groups.
Methods:
The effects of the behavioral and education/control interventions were evaluated across a 10 week treatment period and at 6 month followup on measures of pain, depression, disability, pain behaviors, and intervening variables. The behavioral intervention focused on the development of diverse pain coping skills, while the education/control condition presented information on a range of health related topic without emphasizing skill acquisition.
Results:
Although improvement across time was found in depression, self-reported pain behaviors, observed pain behaviors, and myalgia scores, no differences in these criteria were found between the behavioral and education/control conditions. Multiple regression analyses revealed that changes in helplessness and passive coping were associated with improvement in a number of clinical outcomes.
Conclusion:
The findings illustrate the value of psychoeducational interventions in decreasing the psychological and behavioral effect of FM, and the value of reducing dysfunctional coping and helplessness in future intervention research.
