Finding benefit in stressful uncertain circumstances: relations to social support and stigma among women with unexplained illnesses

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic characteristics within each health group.

	Healthy	Anxiety/depression	Other chronic illnesses	CFS/fibromyalgia
Age	M = 41.52, SD = 9.74	M = 39.11, SD = 9.04	M = 50.32, SD = 11.64	M = 48.37, SD = 9.69
Illness duration (years)	N/A	M = 9.59, SD = 8.38	M = 11.03, SD = 9.01	M = 10.95, SD = 6.91
Household income
Under $29,999	27.4%	21.6%	20.0%	28.2%
$30,000–59,999	24.2%	37.8%	48.6%	23.1%
Above $60,000	48.4%	40.6%	31.4%	48.7%
Education level
No high school	0.0%	8.1%	2.9%	2.5%
High school or some University	48.5%	43.2%	60.0%	50.0%
University degree	51.5%	48.7%	37.1%	47.5%
Relationship status
Married	42.4%	37.8%	57.1%	47.5%
Single	21.2%	21.6%	17.1%	27.5%
In a relationship	21.2%	37.8%	8.7%	17.5%
Widowed/divorced/separated	15.2%	2.8%	17.1%	7.5%

Table 2. Percentage frequencies of coded positive and negative impacts among women with CFS/fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses.

	CFS/fibromyalgia (n = 40)	Other chronic illnesses (n = 35)
Negative impacts daily functioning	50.0%	54.3%
Negative impacts goals	55.0%	31.4%
Negative impacts interpersonal	30.0%	34.3%
Negative impacts personal	27.5%	17.1%
Positive impact appreciation	10.0%	24.3%
Positive impact compassion	22.5%	22.9%
Positive impact interpersonal	10.0%*	31.4%
Positive impact personal	27.5%	34.3%
No positive impact	35.0%	31.4%

*p < 0.05.

Figure 1. Mean (±SE) of perceived social support as a function of illness group. Perceived social support was lower among individuals with CFS/fibromyalgia than healthy women, **p < 0.01.

Figure 2. Mean (±SE) stigma across several subscales as a function of illness group. Stigma estrangement was higher among women with CFS/fibromyalgia than in women with a mental health condition or other chronic illnesses. Stigma attribution did not differ between women with a mental health condition in comparison to those with CFS/fibromyalgia, although women with CFS/fibromyalgia reported higher levels than those with other chronic illnesses. Stigma secrecy among those with CFS/fibromyalgia was comparable to that of women with other chronic illnesses, whereas those with a mental health condition reported greater secrecy than both of these groups. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.