The Quality of Life, Sleep Disorders and Psychological Conditions of Spouses of Women Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objective: To compare the quality of life (QoL), sleep disorders, and psychological status of female fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients/their spouses with those of healthy controls/their spouses. Material and Method: One hundred female FMS patients/their spouses were compared with 100 healthy controls/their spouses regarding Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Short Form-36 (SF-36) scores and tender point counts (TPC). Results: A statistically significant difference was found concerning body mass index (BMI), VAS, TPC, BDI, BAI, PSQI scores, and employment status (p <0.001). While SF-36 subscores and summary scores of FMS patients/their spouses were statistically significantly lower than controls/their spouses (p <0.001), total PSQI scores were statistically significantly higher than those of controls/their spouses (p <0.001). A positive correlation between VAS-fatigue and PSQI, BDI and BAI scores; a negative correlation between SF-36 scores; a positive correlation between BAI scores of VAS-pain; a negative correlation between SF-36 scores, and a negative correlation between TPC and SF-36 scores were found among FMS patients/their spouses. Conclusion: Compared to controls/their spouses, an increase in the frequency of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and deterioration in QoL was detected in FMS patients/their spouses, and the increase was associated with increased pain and fatigue.