Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a common chronic pain condition, is often incompletely treated by conventional medical therapies. It can cause disability, psychological distress, work-related absenteeism, increased use of healthcare resources, and result in the inability to carry out the tasks of daily living. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the potential influence of laughter on affect and pain in individuals with FMS. Laughter produces beneficial effects on acute pain and on chronic pain in general and has been found to improve temporary affective states, but there have been no studies testing the effects of laughter on the pain and affect of fibromyalgia patients. Informing this study were the gate control and neuromatrix theories of pain, as well as the dynamic model of affect theory. The research questions addressed whether laughter frequency is associated with affect and or with perceived chronic pain levels in these individuals. Forty-one adult fibromyalgia patients documented all laughter episodes daily and assessed their pain and affective states 3 times per day for 14 days. Hierarchical regressions revealed that increased overall laughter frequency was significantly associated with decreases in overall pain and increases in overall positive affect but was not associated with measures of negative affect. Also, morning laughter frequency was predictive of increased afternoon and evening positive affect ratings, as well as with decreased afternoon pain ratings, but was not significantly associated with evening pain ratings. The knowledge gained from these results may have positive social change implications at the individual level, within those individuals' larger social networks, and within the research and medical communities.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals throughout the world. As of yet the specific etiology of this condition remains unknown and successful treatments remain in their infancy. Although several studies have focused on the emotional components of fibromyalgia, none have specifically addressed the issues of communication and anger that appear to be important among this patient population. The objectives of this study were to design a 4-week experimental group therapy treatment based on successful cognitive behavioral components and add anger management and communication components in an attempt to increase benefits to the overall well-being of patients. Subjects were 46 fibromyalgia patients recruited from physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists as well as through newspaper, radio, and advertising through flyers. Patients who were accepted into the study were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a wait-list control group, with the control group receiving the treatment in the month following the treatment group. Outcomes were assessed using a repeated measures analysis of variance with one within (time) and one-between subjects (group) factor. The five assessment measures utilized in this study were the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Version 2, the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Survey (CPSS), the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory- 2 (ST AXI-2) and a communication inventory developed specifically for this intervention. Specific outcomes measured included change on fibromyalgia-specific symptoms and physical and emotional health-related status, improvement in communication, change in anger scores, and changes in levels of self-efficacy. Analysis of patient outcome data revealed that significant results were achieved in the areas of mental health and communication variables . In addition, several notable effect sizes were also found, particularly in the areas of vitality (-.97), mental health (-.76) and pain management (-1.17). Results demonstrated that a brief, cost-effective 4-week intervention can have a beneficial impact for FMS patients in the area of psychological function. Implications of these findings are discussed within the context of the existing literature on fibromyalgia treatment as well as in terms of possible limitations of the study as it was conducted.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (PMS) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals throughout the world. As of yet the specific etiology of this condition remains unknown and successful treatments remain in their infancy. Although several studies have focused on the emotional components of fibromyalgia, none have specifically addressed the issues of communication and anger that appear to be important among this patient population. The objectives of this study were to design a 4-week experimental group therapy treatment based on successful cognitive behavioral components and add anger management and communication components in an attempt to increase benefits to the overall well-being of patients. Subjects were 46 fibromyalgia patients recruited from physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists as well as through newspaper, radio, and advertising through flyers. Patients who were accepted into the study were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a wait-list control group, with the control group receiving the treatment in the month following the treatment group. Outcomes were assessed using a repeated measures analysis of variance with one within (time) and one-between subjects (group) factor. The five assessment measures utilized in this study were the Fibrornyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Version 2, the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Survey (CPSS), the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory- 2 (ST AXI-2) and a communication inventory developed specifically for this intervention. Specific outcomes measured included change on fibromyalgia-specific symptoms and physical and emotional health-related status, improvement in communication, change in anger scores, and changes in levels of self-efficacy. Analysis of patient outcome data revealed that significant results were achieved. in the areas of mental health and communication variables. In addition, several notable effect sizes were also found, particularly in the areas of vitality (-.97), mental health (-.76) and pain management (- 1.17). Results demonstrated that a brief, cost-effective 4-week intervention can have a beneficial impact for FMS patients in the area of psychological function. Implications of these findings are discussed within the context of the existing literature on fibromyalgia treatment as well as in terms of possible limitations of the study as it was conducted.

abstract: Experiencing poor, unrefreshing sleep is a common occurrence for individuals with chronic pain. Sleep disturbance predicts not only greater pain and disability, but also heightened negative affect and reduced positive affect in individuals with chronic pain. Such fluctuations in affect have been linked with more negative and fewer positive social events. For those with chronic pain, negative social relations can exacerbate pain, whereas positive social interactions can help decrease disability. Thus, exploring the sleep‒social functioning process in chronic pain may be one way to improve daily functioning and quality of life. The current study examined positive and negative affect as two parallel mediators of the within-day relations between sleep quality and positive and negative social events in individuals with chronic pain. For 21 days, electronic daily diary reports were collected from 220 individuals with fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by widespread chronic pain. Within-person relations among reports of last night’s sleep quality, afternoon affects and pain, and evening social events were estimated via multilevel structural equation modeling. Findings showed that positive affect mediated both the sleep quality‒positive social events and sleep quality‒negative social events relations. That is, greater than usual sleep disturbance last night predicted afternoon reports of lower than usual positive affect. Low positive affect, in turn, predicted evening reports of fewer than usual positive social events and more than usual negative social events that day, controlling for the effects of afternoon pain. In addition, negative affect mediated the sleep quality‒negative social events link. That is, greater than usual sleep disturbance last night predicted afternoon reports of higher than usual negative affect, which, in turn, predicted evening reports of more than usual negative social events that day, controlling for the effects of afternoon pain. Of the three significant mediated paths, the sleep quality‒positive affect‒positive social events path was the strongest in magnitude. Thus, a night of poor sleep can have an impact on social events the next day in those with chronic pain by dysregulating affect. Further, findings highlight the key role of positive affect in the sleep‒social functioning process and potential socio-affective benefits of sleep interventions in chronic pain. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2019

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Individuals with fibromyalgia are at greater risk for depressive symptoms than the general population, and this may be partially attributable to physical symptoms that impair day-to-day functioning. However, individual-level protective characteristics may buffer risk for psychopathology. For instance, the ability to perceive a “silver lining” in one’s illness may be related to better mental and physical health. We examined perceived silver lining as a potential moderator of the relation between fibromyalgia impact and depressive symptoms. Our sample of persons with fibromyalgia (N = 401) completed self-report measures including the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and the Silver Lining Questionnaire. Moderation analyses covaried age, sex, and ethnicity. Supporting hypotheses, increasing impact of disease was related to greater depressive symptoms, and perceptions of a silver lining attenuated that association. Despite the linkage between impairment and depressive symptoms, identifying positive aspects or outcomes of illness may reduce risk for psychopathology. Therapeutically promoting perception of a silver lining, perhaps via signature strengths exercises or a blessings journal, and encouraging cognitive reframing of the illness experience, perhaps via Motivational Interviewing or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, may reduce depressive symptoms in persons with fibromyalgia.

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Individuals with fibromyalgia report lower levels of health-related quality of life (HRQL) compared to other chronically ill populations and interpersonal factors (i.e., social support) may influence risk. What is less understood is how intrapersonal factors (i.e., self-compassion) may impact the social support-HRQL linkage. We examined the association between social support and HRQL in a sample of persons with fibromyalgia and tested the potential mediating role of self-compassion. Self-identified adults in the United States with fibromyalgia (N = 508) were recruited from state, regional, and national organizations and support groups and completed an online battery of self-report questionnaires including: Multidimensional Health Profile-Psychosocial Functioning Index, Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form. Individuals with greater subjective social support reported higher levels of self-compassion and, in turn, higher mental HRQL. These findings provide greater information about psychosocial constructs and HRQL and extend our understanding of self-compassion among individuals living with fibromyalgia.

Abstrakt (Sammanfattning) Bakgrund: Fibromyalgi är ett smärtsyndrom som karaktäriseras av generaliserad smärta. Det drabbar flest kvinnor och orsaken till sjukdomen är fortfarande inte känd. Det påverkar kvinnors livsvärld samt hälsa betydlig då det tar flera år att diagnostiseras, de blir oftast symtombehandlade. Kvinnor med fibromyalgi blir misstrodda av vårdpersonal, vilket leder till ett ytterligare lidande, eftersom sjukdomen fibromyalgi varken är synlig eller känd. Syfte: Är att beskriva kvinnors upplevelser av att leva med sjukdomen fibromyalgi Metod: Kvalitativ litteraturöversikt med induktiv ansats. Resultat: I studiens resultat framställdes 3 huvudkategorier Att livet begränsas, Att inte bli tagen på allvar samt Att återfå kraft. Slutsats: Resultatet visade att kvinnor var otroligt utsatta och begränsade. De upplevde lidande och ohälsa på grund av misstroende från sin omgivning samt vårdpersonal. Däremot återkom kraften när kvinnor upplevde stöd och bekräftelse. Nyckelord: Fibromyalgia, women, experiences & qualitative research.

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