Suffering in patients with fibromyalgia and its relationship with impact on quality of life, loneliness, emotional state, and vital stress

Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that represents a public health problem. It greatly impacts quality of life and affects the psychosocial dimension beyond physical aspects. However, there are insufficient studies aimed at determining the suffering levels of this population and its related factors to propose more comprehensive interventions. Objective: To determine the levels of suffering and its associated factors in patients with fibromyalgia treated at the Colombian Institute of Pain. Methods: A quantitative, analytical observational, and cross-sectional study with a correlational design was carried out. Convenience sampling was used. Variables assessed included levels of suffering (PRISM), fibromyalgia impact on quality of life (FIQR), loneliness (UCLA), anxiety and depression (HADS), and vital stress (Vital Events Questionnaire). Descriptive and correlational statistics were obtained. Results: There were sixty-two participants, 96.8% were women. Seventy-five percent manifested moderate to severe suffering, 62.9% had clinical indicators of loneliness, 75% clinically significant anxiety, and 25.8% clinically significant depression. Also, they reported a mean of 10 stressful vital events. A direct and significant association between suffering and impact on quality of life was found. This impact on quality of life was also significantly correlated with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Vital stress was also significantly related to loneliness and anxiety. Although statistically significant, most correlations were moderate. Conclusions: Patients with fibromyalgia experience relevant levels of suffering and impact on their quality of life. This impact is directly related with psychosocial factors beyond the well-known anxiety and depression. These results help visualize the intense suffering faced by this population and indicate the relevance of examining more deeply issues such as loneliness and vital stress.