Reich John W, Olmsted Maureen E, van Puymbroeck Christina M
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.
Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Feb 15;55(1):86-93. doi: 10.1002/art.21700.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by uncertainty in diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. This study assessed the role of uncertainty of illness in relationship satisfaction in patients with FMS and osteoarthritis (OA).
A total of 51 patients with FMS responded to self-report instruments assessing their uncertainty about their illness, functional ability, average pain, and relationship satisfaction. Their partners independently reported on their sense of caregiver burden and their supportiveness toward the patients. Thirty-two patients with OA and their partners served as a control group.
Patients' functional ability and pain were related to partner caregiver burden. Partner caregiver burden was related to lower levels of partner supportiveness for the FMS dyads, but not for the OA dyads. Relationship satisfaction of patients with FMS was related to their higher levels of uncertainty of illness in interaction with their functional disability and pain and their partners' supportiveness. Under high levels of uncertainty of illness, low levels of partner supportiveness were related to lower patient relationship satisfaction, whereas low levels of uncertainty of illness were significant interacting variables in the OA sample.
The results suggest that uncertainty of illness is a prominent feature affecting patients with FMS in their relationships with their partners. Suggestions for additional research to explore the role of uncertainty of illness in social relationships are presented, and the therapeutic implications for patient/partner relationships are explored.
纤维肌痛综合征（FMS）的特点是诊断、治疗和预后存在不确定性。本研究评估了疾病不确定性在FMS患者和骨关节炎（OA）患者关系满意度中的作用。
共有51名FMS患者对自我报告工具做出回应，这些工具评估了他们对自身疾病的不确定性、功能能力、平均疼痛程度和关系满意度。他们的伴侣独立报告了自己的照顾者负担感以及对患者的支持程度。32名OA患者及其伴侣作为对照组。
患者的功能能力和疼痛与伴侣的照顾者负担有关。伴侣的照顾者负担与FMS二元组中伴侣较低水平的支持性相关，但与OA二元组无关。FMS患者的关系满意度与他们在与功能残疾和疼痛以及伴侣支持性互动中较高水平的疾病不确定性有关。在疾病不确定性较高的情况下，伴侣支持性较低与患者关系满意度较低相关，而在OA样本中，疾病不确定性较低是显著的交互变量。
结果表明，疾病不确定性是影响FMS患者与其伴侣关系的一个突出特征。本文提出了进一步研究以探讨疾病不确定性在社会关系中的作用的建议，并探讨了对患者/伴侣关系的治疗意义。
