The purpose of this study was to identify individual differences in symptom-specific goal for persons diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and to determine whether those differences are related to adjustment outcomes. Women with FMS (N = 71) rank ordered 12 FMS-specific goals and completed a packet of psychosocial outcome measures. Cluster analysis suggested that there were three relatively homogeneous subgroups defined. Cluster 1 ranked goals related to seeking professional care higher than all other groups. Cluster 2 ranked self-sufficiency goals higher than the other two groups. Cluster 3 ranked social-validation goals higher than the other two clusters. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) and post-hoc tests showed that goal profiles covaried with differences in pain, negative affect, goal-specific social support, general social support, goal-related interference, and negative life events. Differences between groups are discussed in the context of proposed relations between goals and environmental support.
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Univariate analysis of variance revealed that cluster membership did not vary with the following demographic variables: age, duration of FMS symptoms, and time since diagnosis with FMS. Duration of FMS symptoms and time since diagnosis were not correlated with any of the dependent variables. Age was correlated with negative affect (r = 0.27, p < 0.05). Thus, we compared a multivariate equation including negative affect residualized for age, to an equation using an unresidualized measure of negative affect. There was no appreciable difference between equations.
The demographic variables (age, duration of FMS symptoms, and time since diagnosis with FMS) were not correlated with any of the dependent variables.
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Hamilton, N.A., Karoly, P. & Zautra, A.J. Health Goal Cognition and Adjustment in Women with Fibromyalgia. J Behav Med 28, 455–466 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-005-9013-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-005-9013-8