Long-term sick-leavers with fibromyalgia: Comparing their multidisciplinarily assessed characteristics with those of others with chronic pain conditions and depression

Figures & data

Table 1 Patient subgroups based on diagnoses: fibromyalgia, myalgia, diseases in spine/joints, and depression. Number of patients in each group, mean age (years, SD); percent higher level of education and percent fully employed

Patient group diagnoses	Number of patients n	Mean age years (SD)	Higher education %	Employed %
Fibromyalgia	92	45.6 (10.2)	66.3	40.2
Myalgia	44	44.4 (8.1)	63.6	52.3
Spine/Joints	111	46.4 (8.2)	68.5	56.8
Depression	169	46.5 (9.5)	73.4	54.4

Notes: There was no significant difference in mean age or educational level between the groups. Fever patients in the fibromyalgia group were employed, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.0885, chi-square test).

Figure 1 Frequency of reported specific symptoms/functional impairments in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression sorted by increasing frequency of FM patients.

Figure 2 Symptom profile in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression. Symptoms along horizontal axis and scores, 0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe, on vertical axis. Symptoms are sorted by decreasing FM scores.

Figure 3 Distribution of criteria for DSM-IV major depressive episode in patients clinically diagnosed as fibromyalgia (FM), myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression, sorted by increasing frequency of criteria in FM patients.

Figure 4 Means of criteria sums for DSM-IV personality disorders in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression ordered by increasing frequency of criteria in FM patients.

Figure 5 Frequency of reported difficulties in activities (ICF numbers³¹ and description) in patients with fibromyalgia, myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression sorted in increasing frequency for fibromyalgia patients.

Figure 6 Patterns of physical activity before age 30 years.

Figure 7 Present levels of physical activity in patients with fibromyalgia and patients with other somatic disorders.

Figure 8 Changes of leisure activities in the four patient groups.

Table 2 Pain variables: Percent of patients with present pain; VAS least, worst, now (mm), and percent of patients with local debut of pain

Pain variables	Fibromyalgia	Myalgia	Back/Joint diagnoses	Depression	Significance p (chi-square test)
Present pain (%)	100	100	98.2	85.0	p < 0.0001
VAS least (mm)	45.5	33.9	34.4	29.7	p < 0.0001
VAS worst (mm)	86.8	78.8	79.8	73.7	p < 0.0001
VAS now (mm)	63.7	50.2	52.6	44.1	p < 0.0001
Local pain debut (%)	85.9	97.7	100	52.0	p < 0.0001

Notes: Patient subgroups based on diagnoses of fibromyalgia, myalgia, diseases in spine/joints, and depression.

Abbreviation: VAS, visual analogue scales.

Figure 9 Pain-free periods in the four patient groups.

Figure 10 Distribution of pain areas reported by more than 50% in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression.

Figure 11 Reported health-related quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia, myalgia, back/joint diagnoses, and depression.

Notes: Eight dimensions: physical functioning (PF), role limitations due to physical problems (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), mental health (MH). The values are compared with corresponding Swedish norms controlled for age and gender. The norm has a T-score = 50.

World Health OrganizationInternational classification of functioning, disability and health – ICFGenevaWHO2001

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