Living with fibromyalgia: Sense of coherence, perception of well-being, and stress in daily life

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome that has a considerable impact on the ill person's daily life. The purpose of this study was to describe levels of sense of coherence (SOC), perceptions of well‐being, and stress in daily life in women with FM in comparison with healthy women, and to determine whether SOC is related to perceived levels of stress and well‐being. Thirty women with FM were compared with 30 healthy women matched for Type A behavior. The results revealed a complex picture of the women with FM. On the one hand, they reported many symptoms but, on the other, they rated themselves as feeling quite well and experiencing an SOC in life, despite severe problems. The FM women with a stronger SOC perceived greater well‐being than those with a weaker SOC. They felt more hopeful, more free, more valuable, and more like others. Results suggest that women with a weaker SOC may need extra support. More research is needed to investigate the experience of living with FM in order to discover what it is that makes life worthwhile despite high symptom levels. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 20: 495–503, 1997