The relationship between symptom severity and self-compassion in fibromyalgia: A case-control study

Abstract

Background

This single-center case-control study aimed to investigate the relationship between symptom severity and self-compassion level in adult women diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), independent of anxiety and depression effects.

Objective

The study included 40 women with FMS who consecutively presented to a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation outpatient clinic and 40 healthy controls matched for age and education level.

Methods

Symptom severity was assessed using the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (rFIQ-TR), self-compassion using the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-TR), and anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-TR). Data were subjected to parametric/non-parametric comparisons, Spearman correlations, and multiple logistic regression after Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests.

Results

The SCS score was significantly lower in the FMS group than in the controls (71.2 ± 8.6 vs 86.1 ± 3.4; p < 0.001). A moderate-to-high negative correlation was found between rFIQ and SCS (ρ = –0.53; p < 0.001). In the logistic model, every 5-point increase in SCS reduced high symptom severity by 18% (OR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.71–0.94). ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.84 (0.74–0.93) for SCS; sensitivity = 0.80 and specificity = 0.78 were determined at a cutoff score of 74.5 points.

Conclusion

A lack of self-compassion plays a significant role in increasing symptom burden in fibromyalgia syndrome. Based on the findings of our study, we recommend the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in clinical practice for the early diagnosis of patients with high symptom severity and referral to self-compassion-based interventions.