Fibromyalgia: Functional impairment, self-esteem and personality profile

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare the level of functional impairment, pain and exhaustion, selfconcept-self-esteem, and major  personality dimensions in people with and without fibromyalgia (FM). The study was carried out with 190 participants, 140 affected with FM and 50  not affected, between 28 and 75 years of age (M = 52.16, SD = 9.18), 10  males and 180 females. Four assessment instruments were administered to assess the target variables: impact of fibromyalgia, self-concept,  self-esteem and personality. The results provided evidence that people  with FM, compared with people who are not affected by this disease, have  a significantly higher level of functional impairment, pain, and exhaustion, a lower level of self-esteem, a higher capacity of cooperativeness-empathy, scrupulousness, and a lower level of emotional control and  emotional stability. In the remaining personality traits (energy, agreeableness, conscientiousness, mental openness), there were no  significant differences. In addition, in people with FM, no signs of bias or  tendency to present an unfavorable image, emphasize difficulties, or  display “illness behavior” were found.