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Physical and mental impact of COVID-19 outbreak on fibromyalgia patients.
Aloush, Valerie; Gurfinkel, Avital; Shachar, Noam; Ablin, Jacob N; Elkana, Odelia.
  • Aloush V; Institute of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. valerie.aloush@gmail.com.
  • Gurfinkel A; School of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv - Yaffo Academic College, Israel.
  • Shachar N; School of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv - Yaffo Academic College, Israel.
  • Ablin JN; Institute of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
  • Elkana O; School of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv - Yaffo Academic College, Israel.
Clin Exp Rheumatol ; 39 Suppl 130(3): 108-114, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1819217
ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES:

Acute or chronic stress may trigger or aggravate symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM). We aimed to evaluate the physical and mental health of fibromyalgia patients during the COVID 19 outbreak and identify protective/risk factors.

METHODS:

An online survey was published in May 2020, following two months of lockdown due to the COVID 19 outbreak, including questionnaires regarding demographic characteristics, access to medical services, anxiety, depression, life approach, coping strategies, perception of social support, widespread pain index (WPI) and symptoms severity scale (SSS), insomnia severity index (ISI) and patient global assessment.

RESULTS:

Of the 233 patients included in the study, 98% were forced to discontinue complementary or alternative treatments during lockdown. Up to 30% of responders who had been treated with medical cannabis had to stop due to logistic difficulties and this was associated with significantly higher scores of WPI/SSS (p=0.024). Higher levels of anxiety and depression were significantly correlated with higher levels of pain, sleep disorders and subjective perception of deterioration (p=0.00). Higher scores of social support and positive life approach were correlated with less anxiety and depression (p<0.01), lower levels of pain (p<0.05) and less sleep disturbances (p<0.01). Avoidant coping style was strongly associated to higher levels of pain, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and subjective perception of worsening (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:

Fibromyalgia patients reported adverse mental and physical outcomes during the COVID-19 outbreak. Factors such as stopping current treatments may play a central role. Social support and a positive life approach appear to be protective.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Fibromyalgia / COVID-19 Type of study: Diagnostic study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Clin Exp Rheumatol Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: CLINEXPRHEUMATOL

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Fibromyalgia / COVID-19 Type of study: Diagnostic study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Clin Exp Rheumatol Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: CLINEXPRHEUMATOL