Stress perception and depressive symptoms: functionality and impact on the quality of life of women with fibromyalgia.
BACKGROUND
Depression is one of the most frequent psychiatric comorbidities in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), and chronic stress might be one of the triggering events of the characteristic FM symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
To compare depressive symptoms and stress perception between women with and without FM, in addition to investigate the relationship between those characteristics and the functionality and the impact on the quality of life of those patients.


METHODS
The study included 20 women with FM (FM group) and 20 healthy women (control group). The following instruments were used: Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Health Assessment Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and Visual Analogue Scale for pain (0-10 cm).


RESULTS
The FM group showed higher severity of the depressive symptoms (24.10 ± 11.68) and greater perception of stress (25.10 ± 4.82) as compared with those of the control group (10.20 ± 12.78, P < 0.01;and 15.45 ± 7.29, P < 0.01;respectively). A higher incidence of depressive symptoms was observed in the FM group (75%) than in the control group (25%) (χ² = 10.00, P < 0.01). In the FM group, a positive correlation was observed between the depressive symptoms and perceived stress (r = 0.54, P < 0.05), pain (r = 0.58, P < 0.01), impaired functionality (r = 0.56, P < 0.01), and impact on the quality of life (r = 0.46, P < 0.05). In this group there was also correlation between perceived stress and impaired functionality (r = 0.50;P < 0.05). Pain showed no relationship with perceived stress.


CONCLUSIONS
The relationship between stress, depression and functionality seems to be part of a complex mechanism, which might affect the quality of life of patients with FM.
Curso de Educação Física, Centro de Comportamento Motor, Departamento de Educação Física, UFPR. diogomann@hotmail.com
Diogo
D
Homann
Joice Mara Facco
JM
Stefanello
Suelen Meira
SM
Góes
Chris Andreissy
CA
Breda
Eduardo dos Santos
Edos S
Paiva
Neiva
N
Leite
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*