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Comparative Study
. 1997 Oct;24(10):2000-7.

A comparison of behavioral and educational interventions for fibromyalgia

P M Nicassio  1 , V Radojevic, M H Weisman, C Schuman, J Kim, K Schoenfeld-Smith, T Krall
Affiliations
  • PMID: 9330945
Comparative Study

A comparison of behavioral and educational interventions for fibromyalgia

P M Nicassio et al. J Rheumatol. 1997 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To compare a comprehensive behavioral intervention with an education/control condition in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia (FM), and to explore the role of mediators of clinical improvement in both groups.

Methods: The effects of the behavioral and education/control interventions were evaluated across a 10 week treatment period and at 6 month followup on measures of pain, depression, disability, pain behaviors, and intervening variables. The behavioral intervention focused on the development of diverse pain coping skills, while the education/control condition presented information on a range of health related topic without emphasizing skill acquisition.

Results: Although improvement across time was found in depression, self-reported pain behaviors, observed pain behaviors, and myalgia scores, no differences in these criteria were found between the behavioral and education/control conditions. Multiple regression analyses revealed that changes in helplessness and passive coping were associated with improvement in a number of clinical outcomes.

Conclusion: The findings illustrate the value of psychoeducational interventions in decreasing the psychological and behavioral effect of FM, and the value of reducing dysfunctional coping and helplessness in future intervention research.

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