title: Lifetime post-traumatic stress symptoms are related to the health-related quality of life and severity of pain/fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of lifetime potentially traumatic events, including losses, and of post-traumatic stress symptoms on the severity of illness and health-related quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia (FM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with FM, diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria, were consecutively enrolled at the Unit of Rheumatology of the University of Pisa, Italy. Assessments included: SCID-I/P; the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Health Survey (MOS SF-36), for the severity of pain; the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL); the Trauma and Loss Spectrum Self-Report (TALS-SR) life-time version.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FIQ total score was related to the number of loss events (Domain I) and to symptoms of grief reactions (Domain II) and re-experiencing (Domain V) of the TALS-SR. The 'VAS fatigue' scores (FIQ) were significantly related to the TALS-SR symptoms of grief reactions (Domain II) and re-experiencing (Domain V). The Mental Component Summary and Bodily Pain scores of the MOS SF-36 were significantly related to all TALS-SR domains, the latter with the exception of the VIII (Arousal).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results corroborate the presence of a relationship between the lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events, in particular loss events, and lifetime post-traumatic stress symptoms and the severity of illness and HRQoL in patients with FM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotecnology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carmassi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Consoli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conversano
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ramacciotti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massimetti
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pergentini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciapparelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bazzichi
mesh_terms: D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013577:Syndrome