Depression and Fibromyalgia: Two Distinct Disorders with a “Hard Life” in Common?

Abstract

This study is appointed to appraise the impact of life's events and psychosocial stress factors (violence, abuse and negligence in childhood, parental or spouse's alcoholism; sexual abuse, abandoning, misery, loss of a dear and close one, incommensurable life situations and other minor averse episodes) in the vulnerability for depression and fibromyalgia. With this purpose a population of forty women followed in outpatient clinical Department of Psychiatry of HUC [twenty with the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia (American College of Rheumatology) and the remainder with Major Depressive Disorder diagnosis (DSM-IV)] was accessed. It is discussed in a comparative way for both groups, the incidence and nature of negative life events, the valorization and threshold of frustration face to these adverse circumstances, adaptability, personality's features, coping strategies and eventual personal profits with the perpetuation of the disturbance.