Psychiatric Disorders, Stress Reaction and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS): Report of an Experience on 48 Patients

Aim: The presence of psychiatric disorders and of alterations of stress reaction has been investigated in patients affected by Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). Methods: A number of 48 FMS patients and of 41 control subjects underwent a complete clinical evaluation, to psychometric tests (Zung test for Anxiety Disorder ?Self Anxiety Scale, SAS- and Depressive Disorder ?Self Depression Scale, SDS-, the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire ?MHQ-, Toronto Alexithymia Scale of Taylor -TAS-20- ) for psychiatric disorders and alexithymia and to psychophysiological evaluation of response to stress. Results: Patients with FMS resulted to be significantly positive for depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, obsession and somatization and alexithymia as well. Furthermore, a relevant psycho physiological profile has been identified as an abnormal activation of the stress reaction. Conclusion: FMF is a multifactorial disease in which the role of psychiatric disorders and of the altered reaction to stress seems to play a crucial role in the pathophysiological of the disease.