title: Psychological determinants of fibromyalgia and related syndromes.
abstract: Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain and fatigue syndromes constitute an increasingly greater societal burden that currently is not being approached effectively by traditional Western medicine. Although the hallmarks of fibromyalgia--chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and multiple other somatic symptoms--have neurophysiologic and endocrinologic underpinnings, these biological aspects derive primarily from psychological variables. Female gender, adverse experiences during childhood, psychological vulnerability to stress, and a stressful, often frightening environment and culture are important antecedents of fibromyalgia. To understand fibromyalgia and related syndromes and to provide optimum care requires a biopsychosocial, not a biomedical, viewpoint.
authors.affiliation: Thurston Arthritis Research Center, 3330 C Thurston Building, Campus box # 7280, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. john_winfield@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Winfield
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011584:Psychology; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology