Determination of Health Anxiety and Resilience Levels in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis During SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Case–Control Study

Background: Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis are chronic diseases associated with pain. These diseases reduce the patient’s quality of life and cause psy- chological problems. The study aimed to determine health anxiety and resilience levels in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic.

Methods: This case–control study conducted in Central Anatolia Region, Turkey, included 180 participants (60 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome, 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and 60 healthy subjects). Data were collected using the Brief Resilience Scale and Health Anxiety Scale. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale.

Results: Resilience was significantly higher in healthy controls than in the fibromyalgia syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis groups (P < .001). Resilience was also higher in the rheumatoid arthritis group than fibromyalgia syndrome (P < .001) group. Hypersensitivity to somatic symptoms and anxiety, negative results of diseases, and total scores of Health Anxiety Scale were significantly higher in the fibromyalgia syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis groups than healthy controls (P < .001). Also, Health Anxiety Scale scores in the fibromyalgia syndrome group were higher than the rheumatoid arthritis group (P < .001). There was a very strong and negative correlation between the participants’ resilience and health anxiety levels (r=-0.818, P < .001). The most important predictors of resilience were hypersensitivity to somatic symptoms and anxiety (r = -0.335, P < .001), the group (r = 0.302, P = .003), the pain intensity (r = -0.169, P = .043), and the negative consequences of the disease (r = -.149, P = .038). The hypersensitivity to somatic symptoms and anxiety, the Visual Analog Scale, and the negative consequences of the disease were negatively correlated with resilience. But there was a positive correlation between fibromyalgia syn- drome and rheumatoid arthritis groups and resilience.

Conclusions: Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis have low resilience and high health anxiety. The interventions should be planned to increase resil- ience and decrease the health anxiety of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and rheu- matoid arthritis.

Cite this article as: Karakoyun A, Yüksel A, Bahadır-Yılmaz E. Determination of health anxiety and resilience levels in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A case–control study. Alpha Psychiatry.2022;23(3):106-112.