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Ablin: Distinctive personality profiles of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome patients

mango

Senior Member
Messages
905
Distinctive personality profiles of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome patients

Jacob N. Ablin1,2, Ada H. Zohar3, Reut Zaraya-Blum3, Dan Buskila4,5

September 13, 2016
PeerJ 4:e2421 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2421

Abstract
Objective

The current study is an innovative exploratory investigation, aiming at identifying differences in personality profiles within Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients.

Method
In total, 344 participants (309 female, 35 male) reported suffering from FMS and/or CFS and consented to participate in the study. Participants were recruited at an Israeli FM/CFS patient meeting held in May 2013, and through an announcement posted on several social networks. Participants were asked to complete a research questionnaire, which included FMS criteria and severity scales, and measures of personality, emotional functioning, positivity, social support and subjective assessment of general health. In total, 204 participants completed the research questionnaire (40.7% attrition rate).

Results
A cluster analysis produced two distinct clusters, which differed significantly on psychological variables, but did not differ on demographic variables or illness severity. As compared to cluster number 2 (N = 107), participants classified into cluster number 1 (N = 97) showed a less adaptive pattern, with higher levels of Harm Avoidance and Alexithymia; higher prevalence of Type D personality; and lower levels of Persistence (PS), Reward dependence (RD), Cooperation, Self-directedness (SD), social support and positivity.

Conclusion
The significant pattern of results indicates at least two distinct personality profiles of FM and CFS patients. Findings from this research may help improve the evaluation and treatment of FM and CFS patients, based on each patient’s unique needs, psychological resources and weaknesses, as proposed by the current trend of personalized medicine.

Anaesthesiology and Pain Management, Psychiatry and Psychology, Rheumatology

https://peerj.com/articles/2421/
 

A.B.

Senior Member
Messages
3,780

You see, if you deny that you're severely emotionally distressed but confirm debilitating physical symptoms, it means that you're having problems distinguishing between emotions and physical symptoms. Now they can safely babble on.

Or maybe you're just somatizing emotional distress into physical symptoms and don't realise it because you're blind to emotions.
 
Last edited:

NL93

Senior Member
Messages
155
Location
The Netherlands
You see, if you deny that you're severely emotionally distressed but confirm debilitating physical symptoms, it means that you're having problems distinguishing between emotions and physical symptoms. Now they can safely babble on.

Or maybe you're just somatizing emotional distress into physical symptoms and don't realise it because you're blind to emotions.

And if you report you actually are distressed, because you have severely disabling symptoms and cannot function, that means you have CFS because you're so easily distressed.

They win.

I bet you would find the same "personality flaws" if you question people who are on chemotherapy or have other disabling diseases.
 

Cheesus

Senior Member
Messages
1,292
Location
UK
I can't believe they recruited so many patients but didn't use a control group.

There is good evidence that personality traits change over time and are not fixed as was previously thought. If there had been a control group and we could see that the personality of people with ME differ from healthy people, then it could easily be an indicator that chronic sickness results in certain personality traits. I would be entirely unsurprised that one of these personality groups included 'Harm Avoidance'.

Unfortunately there was no control group, so the results are meaningless.
 

Tuha

Senior Member
Messages
638
Is there someone who control these psychiatrists? It´s not that they are totaly incompetent but they do a lot of harm and they are responsible for a big misery of many people. Imagine if we would have money for ME research instead of this nonsense. We live in a really strange world.
 
Messages
2,158
I notice they call this stuff an 'exploratory investigation'. I assume they've had it published so they can use this paper as the justification to seek funding for a bigger study. Shudder!!!

:aghhh::aghhh::aghhh::aghhh::aghhh:
 

Justin30

Senior Member
Messages
1,065
When your DXed with a physically crippling disease such as ME that has know treatment approved, miniscule funding and lack of clincical care....dont you think you would be a little upset.

These papers are just time and money thrown in the trash.

Did they read the IOM report or see the immacuation of severely ill patients? Its absolutely horrifying.
 

Cheesus

Senior Member
Messages
1,292
Location
UK
Im interested in why 60% dropped out of this study, i wonder if it was due to finding the questions offensive. That would of really affected this terrible study too.

Yes, because the people who decided to drop out would most likely share a certain personality trait. Moreover choosing to engage with a study like this in the first place would require certain personality traits.

Fortunately these shortcomings will be transparent to most.