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. 2020 Aug 13;7(2):2055102920947921.
doi: 10.1177/2055102920947921. eCollection 2020 Jul-Dec.

Adult attachment styles, self-esteem, and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia

Cristina Sechi  1 , Laura Vismara  1 , Marie Jo Brennstuhl  2 , Cyril Tarquinio  2 , Loredana Lucarelli  1
Affiliations

Adult attachment styles, self-esteem, and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia

Cristina Sechi et al. Health Psychol Open. .

Abstract

Recently, the research on pain-related disability has increasingly paid attention to the psychological and social factors that may influence the biological condition. In the current study, we aimed to explore attachment styles, self-esteem, and quality of life in individuals with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Participants were 371 diagnosed women, with a mean age of 42.7 years (standard deviation = 10.6). The average number of years since diagnosis was 7.4 years (standard deviation = 2.4) years. To assess attachment, quality of life, and self-esteem, women responded, respectively, to the Relationship Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory. Our results showed that secure attachment relationships and high self-esteem represent protective factors for quality of life of women with fibromyalgia, while the contrary emerged for insecure attachments and low self-esteem. The understanding of the psychological components that contribute to fibromyalgia may improve the effectiveness of interventions.

Keywords: attachment styles; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; quality of life; self-esteem; women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Path models. The relationship between attachment styles (secure, dismissive, preoccupied, and fearful) and QoL mediated by self-esteem. The coefficients shown are standardized.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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