title: Self-reported childhood maltreatment, lifelong traumatic events and mental disorders in fibromyalgia syndrome: a comparison of US and German outpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The robustness of findings on retrospective self-reports of childhood maltreatment and lifetime traumatic experiences of adults with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) has not been demonstrated by transcultural studies. This is the first transcultural study to focus on the associations between FMS, childhood maltreatment, lifetime psychological traumas, and potential differences between countries adjusting for psychological distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  71 age-and sex-matched US and German FMS outpatients were compared. Childhood maltreatment were assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and potential, traumatic experiences by the trauma list of the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Potential posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR symptom criteria by the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale. Potential depressive and anxiety disorder were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  US and German patients did not significantly differ in the amount of self-reported childhood maltreatment (emotional, physical and sexual abuse or neglect) or in the frequency of lifetime traumatic experiences. No differences in the frequency of potential anxiety, depression, and PTSD were seen. Psychological distress fully accounted for group differences in emotional and sexual abuse and emotional and physical neglect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrated the transcultural robustness of findings on the association of adult FMS with self-reports of childhood maltreatment and lifelong traumatic experiences. These associations are mainly explained by current psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Klinikum Saarbrücken; and Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Häuser
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases and University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Angus B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Worthing
authors.affiliation: Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Group Practice, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Practice, Burke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rothenberg
authors.affiliation: MedStar Health Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC; and National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D013577:Syndrome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology