Abstract
Passive coping strategies for pain (e.g., eatastrophizing) have been implicated in the development and maintenance of chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM). Catastrophizing may thus be independently associated with FM, controlling for pain parameters such as intensity and complexity. This cross-sectional study compared coping strategies for pain (Coping Strategies Questionnaire; CSQ) among women with FM (n = 81), neck/shoulder pain (re = 76), and back pain (re = 131). Soeiodemographics and pain parameters were also assessed. FM patients reported stronger pain intensity, higher consumption of analgesics and sedatives, and higher disability than the other patients did. They also reported higher scores for the CSQ subscales–diverting attention, eatastrophizing, praying/hoping, and pain behaviors–and lower scores for self-efficacy beliefs. Multivariate analyses controlling for relevant conifounders ruled out most differences in coping strategies between groups, with the exception of diverting attention and pain behaviors. The results indicate that passive coping is not independently related to FM, but is, rather, dependent on a more general dysfunction due to pain.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amér, S. (19841). Clinical pain analysis — somatic aspects, Klinik och Tcrapi (ASTRAI), Suppl.,1, 9–12.
Bengtsson. A., Bäekman, E., Lindblom, B., & Skogh, T. (1994). Long-term follow-up of fibromyalgia patients: Clinicai symptoms, muscular function, laboratory tests–An eight year comparison study.Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, 2, 67–80.
Brown, G. D., & Nicassio. P. M. (1987). Development of a questionnaire for the assessment of active and passive coping strategies in chronic pain patients.Pain, 31, 51–64.
Brown, G. K., Nicassio, P.M., & Wallston, K. A. (1989). Pain coping strategies and depression in rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology.57, 652–657.
Carisson, A. M. (1984). Assessment of chronic pain. II. Problems in the selection of relevant questionnaire items for classifications of pain and evaluation and prediction of therapeutic effects.Pain, 19, 173–184.
Consensus document on fibromyalgia: The Copenhagen Declaration. (1993).Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, 1, 295–312.
Felson, D. T., & Goldberg, D. L. (1986). The natural history of fibromyalgia.Arthritis &Rheumatism.29, 1522–1526.
Fernandez. E. (1986). A classification system of cognitive coping strategies for pain.Pain.26, 141–151.
Fior H., & Turk D. C. (1988). Chronic back pain and rheumatoid arthritis: predicting pain and disability from cognitive variables.Journal of Behavioral Medicine.11(3), 251–265.
Forseth, K. O., & Gran. J. T. (1992). The prevalence of fibromyalgia among women aged 20-49 years in Arendal, Norway.Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 21, 74–78.
Hägg. G. M. (1991). Static work-loads and occupational myalgia — a new explanatory model. In P. A. Andersson, D. J. Hobart, & J. V. Danoff (Eds.),Eleclromyographical Jcinesilogy (pp. 141–144). The Netherlands: Elsevier.
Hawley, D. J., Wolfe, F., & Cathey, M. A. (1988). Pain, functional disability and psychological status: A 12 months study of severity in fibromyalgia.Journal of Rheumatology, 15, 1551–1556.
Hawley, D. J., & Wolfe, F. (1991). Pain, disability, and pain/disability relationships in seven rheumatic disorders: A study of 1,522 patients.Journal of Rheumatology, 18. 1522–1557.
Indahl, A., Kaigle, A. M., Reikerås, O., & Holm, S. IL (1997). Interaction between the porcine lumbar intervertebral disc, zygapophysial joints, andparaspmal muscles.Spine, 22, 2834–2840.
Jacobsson, L., Lindgärde, F.,& Manthorpe R. (1989). The commonest rheumatic complaints of over six weeks duration in a twelve-month period in a defined Swedish population. Prevalences and relationships.Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 18, 353–360.
Jensen. I. B., & Linton, S. J. (1993). Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ): Reliability of the Swedish version of the CSQ.Scandinavian Journal of Behavioral Thempy, 22, 139–145.
Jensen. M. P., Turner, J. A., Romano, J.M., & Karoly, P. (1991). Copingwith chronic pain: A critical review of the literature.Pain, 47, 249–283.
Katz, J., Ritvo, P., Irvine, J., & Jackson. M. (1996). Coping with chronic pain. In M. Zeidner & N. S. Endler (Eds.),Handbook of coping: Theory, research, applications (pp. 252–278). New York: Wiley.
Keefe F. J., Brown G. K., Wallston K. A., & Caldwell D. S. (1989). Coping with rheumatoid arthritis pain: catastrophizing as a maladaptive strategy.Pain.37(1), 51–56.
Ledingham, J., Doherty, S., & Doherty, M. (1993). Primary fibromyalgia syndrome—An outcome study.British Journal of Rheumatology, 32, 139–142.
Lundberg,U., Kadefors, K., Melin, B., Palmerud, G., Hassmén,P., Engströrn, M., & Elf sherg-Dphns, I. (1994). Psychophysical stress and EMO activity of the trapezius muscle.International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 354–357.
Mannc S.L., & Zautra A. J. (1990). Couples copingwith chronic illness: women with rheumatoid arthritis and their healthy husbands.Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 13, 327–342.
Martin, M. Y., Bradley, L. A., Alexander, R. W., Alarcon, G. S., Triana-Alexandcr M., Aaron, L. A., & Alberts, K. R. (1996). Coping strategies predict disability in patients with primary fibromyalgia.Pain, 68, 45–53.
McCain, G. A. (1994). Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes. In P. D. Wall & R. Melzack (Eds.),Textbook of pain (3rd ed., pp. 475–194). New York: Churchill Livingstone.
Nachemson, A. (1991).Ont i ryggen. Statens beredning for utvärdering av medieinsk mefodik [Back pain — etiology, diagnostics and treatment], (The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care.) SRU-rapport, ISBN 91-87890-10-0.
Nicassio. P. M., Schoenfeld-Smith, K., Radojevic. V., & Schuman, C. (1995). Pain coping mechanisms in fibromyalgia: Relationship to pain and functional outcomes.Journal of Rheumatology, 22, 1552–1558.
Nicholas. M. K., Wilson, P. H., & Goyen, J, (1992). Comparison of cognitive-behavioural group treatment and an alternative, nonpsychological treatment for chronic low backpain.Pain, 48. 339–347.
Nørregard. J., Bulow, P.M., Prescott, E.,.Tacobsen, S. & Danneskiold-Samsoe, B. (1993). A four-year follow-up study in fibromyalgia. Relationship to chronic fatigue syndrome.Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology.22, 35–38.
Parker J. C., Srnarr K. L., Buescher K. L., Phillips L. R., Frank R. G., Beck N. C., Anderson S. K., & Walkar S. E. (1989). Pain control and rational thinking. Implications for rheumatoid arthritis.Arthritis & Rheumatism. 32, 984–990.
Raspe, H. H., Baumgartner, C., & Wolfe, F. (1993). The prevalence of fibromyalgia in a rural German community: How much difference do different criteria make?Arthritis & Rheumatism, 36 (Suppl. 9). S48.
Rosen stiel, A., & Keefe, F. (1983). The use of coping strategies in chronic low-back pain patients: Relationship to patients’ characteristics and current adjustment.Pain.17, 33–44.
Schleifer, L. M., & Ley, R. (1994). End-tidal PCO2 as an index of psychophysiological activity during VDT data-entry work and relaxation.Ergonomics.37, 245–254.
Skovron, M. L. (1992). Epidemiology of low back pain.Bailliére’s Clinical Rheumatology, 6, 559–573.
Snook, S. H., & Jensen, R. C. (1984). Cost. in H.M. Pope, J. W. Frymoyer, & G. Andersson (Eds.),Occupational low-hack pain. New York: Praeger.
Snow-Turek. A. L., Norris, M. P., & Tan, G. (1996). Active and passive coping strategies in chronic pain patients.Pain, 64. 455–462.
Socialstyrelsen.Klassifikation avSjukdomar [National Board of Health and Welfare. Disease-Classification], (1987), Systematisk förteckning, Liber. Allmanna förlaget.
Sola, A. E. (1984). Treatment of myofascial pain syndromes. In C. Benedett, R. Chapman, & G. Moricca (Eds.),Advances in pain research and therapy (p. 13). New York: Raven.
Spengler, D., Bigos, C. J., Martin, N. A., Zeh, J., Fisher, L., & Nachemson, A. (1986). Back injuries in industry: A retrospective study.Spine, 11, 241–245.
Sullivan M. J., & D’Eon J. L. (1990). Relation between catastrophizing and depression in chronic pain patients [see comments].Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 260–263.
Waddell, G., Newton, M., Henderson, L., Somerville, & Main, C. J. (1993). A Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ) and the role of fear avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain and disability.Pain, 52, 157–168.
Wolfe, F. (1986). The clinical syndrome of fihrositis.American Journal of Medicine.81, 7.
Wolfe F. (1989). Fibromyalgia: The clinical syndrome.Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America, 15, 1.
Wolfe, F., & Hawley, D. J. (1994). Fibromyalgia in the adult Danish population. [Letter]Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology;23, 55.
Wolfe, F., Ross, K., Anderson, J., Russell, I. J., & Hebert, L. (1995). The prevalence and characteristics of fibromyalgia in the general population.Arthritis &Rheumatism, 38, 19–28.
Wolfe, F, Smythe, H, A., Yunus, M.B., Bennett, R.M., Bombardier, C., Goldenberg. D.L., Tugwell, P., Cambell, S. M., Abeles, M., Clark, P. (1990) The American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia: Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee.Arthritis &Rheumatism, 33, 160–172.
Yunus, M. B., Masi. A. T., & Aldag. J. C. (1989). Preliminary criteria for primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFS): Multivariate analysis of a consecutive series of PFS, other pain patients, and normal subjects.Clinical Experimentai Rheumatology, 7, 63–69.
Yunus, M., Masi, A. T., Calabrao, J. J., Miller, K. A., & Feigenhaum, S. L. (1981). Primaiy fibromyalgia (fibrositis): Clinical study of 50 patients with matched normal controls.Seminara in Arthritis &Rheumatism, 1, 151–171.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mellegård, M., Grossi, G. & Soares, J.J.F. A comparative study of coping among women with fibromyalgia, neck/shoulder and back pain. Int. J. Behav. Med. 8, 103–115 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327558IJBM0802_02
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327558IJBM0802_02