title: Disability in Fibromyalgia Associates with Symptom Severity and Occupation Characteristics.
abstract: It is intuitive that disability caused by illness should be reflected in illness severity. Because disability rates for fibromyalgia (FM) are high in the developed world, we have examined disease and work characteristics for patients with FM who were working, unemployed, or receiving disability payments for disability as a result of FM.
  
  
  
  Of the 248 participants in a tertiary care cohort study of patients with FM, 90 were employed, 81 were not employed and not receiving disability payments, and 77 were not working and currently receiving disability payments awarded for disability caused by FM. Demographic, occupation, and disease characteristics were compared among the groups.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of disability caused by FM was 30.8%. There were no demographic differences among the working, unemployed, or disabled patients. With the exception of measures for anxiety and depression, all measurements for disease severity differed significantly among the groups, with greater severity reported for the disabled group, which used more medications and participated less in physical activity. Disabled patients were more likely previously employed in manual professions or the service industry, whereas employed patients were more commonly working in non-manual jobs that included clerical, managerial, or professional occupations (p = 0.005).
  
  
  
  The one-third rate of disability for this Canadian cohort of patients with FM is in line with other reports from the western world. Associations of disability compensation were observed for subjective report of symptom severity, increased use of medications, and previous employment in more physically demanding jobs.
authors.affiliation: From the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal; JSS Medical Research, Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada.M.A. Fitzcharles, MB, ChB, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre, and the Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; P.A. Ste-Marie, BA, LL.B, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; E. Rampakakis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; J.S. Sampalis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; Y. Shir, MD, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre. Mary-ann.fitzcharles@muhc.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Mary-Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fitzcharles
authors.affiliation: From the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal; JSS Medical Research, Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada.M.A. Fitzcharles, MB, ChB, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre, and the Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; P.A. Ste-Marie, BA, LL.B, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; E. Rampakakis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; J.S. Sampalis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; Y. Shir, MD, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ste-Marie
authors.affiliation: From the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal; JSS Medical Research, Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada.M.A. Fitzcharles, MB, ChB, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre, and the Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; P.A. Ste-Marie, BA, LL.B, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; E. Rampakakis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; J.S. Sampalis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; Y. Shir, MD, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre.
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rampakakis
authors.affiliation: From the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal; JSS Medical Research, Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada.M.A. Fitzcharles, MB, ChB, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre, and the Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; P.A. Ste-Marie, BA, LL.B, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; E. Rampakakis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; J.S. Sampalis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; Y. Shir, MD, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sampalis
authors.affiliation: From the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal; JSS Medical Research, Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada.M.A. Fitzcharles, MB, ChB, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre, and the Division of Rheumatology, McGill University Health Centre; P.A. Ste-Marie, BA, LL.B, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre; E. Rampakakis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; J.S. Sampalis, PhD, JSS Medical Research, and the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University; Y. Shir, MD, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre.
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D063189:Symptom Assessment
keywords: DISABILITY; FIBROMYALGIA; OCCUPATION; SYMPTOM SEVERITY