Fibromyalgia Impact and Mindfulness Characteristics in 4986 People with Fibromyalgia
Open accessAbstract
Context and objective A growing body of literature suggests that mindfulness techniques may be beneficial in fibromyalgia. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of six trials indicated improvement in depressive symptoms and quality of life, calling for increased rigor and use of standardized measures in future trials. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness [as measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)] and fibromyalgia impact [as measured by the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR)]. Design, setting, and participants A cross-sectional survey was conducted with adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia from a national fibromyalgia advocacy foundation e-mail list. Results A total of 4986 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 to 27.3, with highest scores for the observe subscale. All subscale correlations were small to moderate and indicated that more severe fibromyalgia impact was associated with less mindfulness except in the observe scale (r = .15, P > .000). No clinical or demographics explained as much variance in the FIQR total as any of the mindfulness subscales. Conclusions Fibromyalgia patients experience symptoms that may be alleviated by mindfulness interventions. Baseline values for the observe subscale of the FFMQ were unexpectedly high. Further research is needed to know if this may be due to non-mindful observations and should be noted when the FFMQ is used in fibromyalgia clinical trials.
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The Describing, Acting-with-awareness, and Non-judging facets tend to show similar positive associations with psychological health.
“The Describing, Acting-with-awareness, and Non-judging facets are often similarly associated with better psychological health.”
From Mindfulness is associated with psychological health and moderates the impact of fibromyalgia (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that greater fibromyalgia impact was associated with lower scores on Describing, Acting with Awareness, and Non-judging; the Results characterize the facet correlations as small to medium. This supports a shared direction of association in people with fibromyalgia, but the paper measures fibromyalgia impact rather than psychological health generally and does not establish that the three associations are similar in strength or occur often across settings. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe study sample had higher average total FFMQ scores than other community and clinical samples.
“Our sample had higher average total Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) scores than other community and clinical samples in studies that measured FFMQ5,7,10,13,15,17”
From Mindfulness is associated with psychological health and moderates the impact of fibromyalgia (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
The Methods (Measures; page not available) confirm that this was a clinical sample assessed with the FFMQ. The Results report FFMQ subscale scores, but our copy gives no average total FFMQ score or comparison with the citing study’s sample, so it does not establish the claimed higher total score. (LLM, conf=0.80)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe Nonjudging facet is particularly related to the functional impact of fibromyalgia, more so than the other FFMQ subscales.
“The Nonjudging facet seems to be particularly related to the functional impact of FM [60] (more so than the other FFMQ subscales)”
From The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis as a brain correlate of psychological inflexibility in fibromyalgia (2020) · cites this paper as [60]
The Discussion reports that greater fibromyalgia impact was associated with lower scores on the Nonjudging facet. It reports the same pattern for three other FFMQ facets, however, and the passages available from our copy do not establish that Nonjudging was more strongly related to impact than those facets (Discussion and Results; page numbers unavailable). (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe five facets of mindfulness have different relationships with health outcomes.
“These facets of mindfulness differ in their associations with health outcomes.4–10,13–17”
From Mindfulness is associated with psychological health and moderates the impact of fibromyalgia (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
The study sample had lower fibromyalgia impact scores than participants in two online fibromyalgia studies.
“also had lower fibromyalgia impact scores than participants in two online fibromyalgia studies.15,44”
From Mindfulness is associated with psychological health and moderates the impact of fibromyalgia (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
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- Authors
- Jones, K. D., Mist, S. D., Casselberry, M. A., Ali, A., & Christopher, M. S.
- Affiliations
- Oregon Health & Science University (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Pacific University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Jones, Kim D.
- Venue
- EXPLORE
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-07
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 304-309
- ISSN
- 1550-8307 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4552195
- OpenAlex
- W1973359620
- Cited by
- 22
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 1.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- EXPLORE (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (L30 AR065257)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (K23AT006703)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- fibromyalgia, mindfulness, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, fibromyalgia impact, mindfulness-based interventions, quality of life, depressive symptoms
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Fibromyalgia, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Meditation, Mindfulness
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