THU0324 Mindfulness Characteristics in 4986 People with Fibromyalgia
Authors: S. Mist, K.D. Jones
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2015)

<h3>Background</h3> Fibromyalgia affects at least 5 million persons in the US. There is a need to develop and test non-pharmacologic interventions to augment current treatments. A growing body of research indicates that mindfulness techniques may be beneficial for some aspects of fibromyaliga. (1 - 6) However, little is known about the state of mindfulness and its relationship to fibromyalgia impact in the population. <h3>Objectives</h3> To characterize the relationship between the impact of fibromyalgia and mindfulness using an online survey. <h3>Methods</h3> A cross-sectional survey was conducted with adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia from a national fibromyalgia foundation advocacy foundation email list. Correlation and standard regression analysis were conducted to explain the relationship between the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire - Revised (FIQR) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Scale (FFMQ). <h3>Results</h3> A total of 4,986 respondents represented all 50 states in the United States and 30 countries. FIQR scores demonstrated moderate to severe fibromyalgia with the majority of subjects (59%) scoring ≤60. Scores on the FFMQ subscales ranged from 20.8-27.3, with highest scores for the <i>observe</i> subscale. All subscale correlations were small to moderate and indicated more severe fibromyalgia impact was associated with less mindfulness except in the <i>observe</i> scale (r =0.15, p&gt;0.000). No clinical or demographics explained as much variance in the FIQR total as any of the mindfulness subscales. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Fibromyalgia patients experience symptoms that may be modified by mindfulness interventions. Baseline values for the <i>observe</i> subscale of the FFMQ were unexpectedly high and may have implications for types of meditative practices appropriate for the population. <h3>References</h3> Astin JA, Berman BM, Bausell B, Lee WL, Hochberg M, Forys KL. The efficacy of mindfulness meditation plus Qigong movement therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. J Rheumatol 2003 October;30(10):2257-62. Fjorback LO, Arendt M, Ornbol E, Walach H, Rehfeld E, Schroder A, Fink P. Mindfulness therapy for somatization disorder and functional somatic syndromes: randomized trial with one-year follow-up. J Psychosom Res 2013 January;74(1):31-40. Goldenberg DL, Kaplan KHNMG, Brodeur C, Smith S, Schmid CH. A controlled study of a stress-reduction, cognitive-behavioral treatment program in fibromyalgia. Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain 1994;2:53-66. Grossman P, Tiefenthaler-Gilmer U, Raysz A, Kesper U. Mindfulness training as an intervention for fibromyalgia: evidence of postintervention and 3-year follow-up benefits in well-being. Psychother Psychosom 2007;76(4):226-33. Schmidt S, Grossman P, Schwarzer B, Jena S, Naumann J, Walach H. Treating fibromyalgia with mindfulness-based stress reduction: results from a 3-armed randomized controlled trial. Pain 2011 February;152(2):361-9. Sephton SE, Salmon P, Weissbecker I, Ulmer C, Floyd A, Hoover K, Studts JL. Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: results of a randomized clinical trial. Arthritis Rheum 2007 February 15;57(1):77-85. <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> This presentation was made possible by grant number 1K23AT006392 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NCCAM. <h3>Disclosure of Interest</h3> None declared