Assessment of kinesiophobia, fatigue severity, disease activity, and mood in women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a cross-sectional controlled study.

objectiveThis study aimed to assess and compare the level of kinesiophobia between women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and healthy controls, and to examine its correlation with fatigue, disease activity, and emotional well-being.

methodsThis clinical, cross-sectional, and controlled study was conducted at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation outpatient clinic in a single tertiary care hospital. The study included 74 women: 37 patients newly diagnosed with FMS according to the 2016 ACR criteria who were previously untreated, and 37 age-matched healthy female volunteers. Kinesiophobia was assessed using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Severity Scale, while pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale. Disease impact was evaluated with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and depression and anxiety symptoms were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

resultsCompared to healthy controls, the FMS group had significantly higher scores for kinesiophobia (p = 0.020), and fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.001 for all). Within the FMS group, kinesiophobia was significantly correlated only with depression (r = 0.385, 95% CI [0.078, 0.622], p = 0.019); no significant correlation was found with other clinical parameters (p > 0.05).

conclusionsIn newly diagnosed and untreated women with FMS, the significant association between kinesiophobia and depression, rather than with pain or disease activity, suggests that fear of movement is a fundamental, early-stage psychological feature of the syndrome. Therefore, early depression screening is crucial for the initial clinical management of FMS to prevent the entrenchment of activity avoidance. Key Points • In women with a new diagnosis of FMS who had not previously received any treatment for this diagnosis, kinesiophobia shows a significant correlation with depression, but not with pain intensity or disease activity. • The relationship between fear of movement and depression appears to be a fundamental, early-stage feature of fibromyalgia, rather than a consequence of chronic illness. • These findings highlight the critical importance of early depression screening and management in newly diagnosed fibromyalgia patients to prevent the entrenchment of activity avoidance behavior.