Assessment of predictors of the impact of fibromyalgia on health-related quality of life 12 months after the end of an interdisciplinary treatment

Objective: Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder with a range of comorbid symptoms, including anxiety. We aimed to prospectively identify predictors of the long-term impact of fibromyalgia on health-related quality of life after the end of an interdisciplinary intervention. Methods: 138 patients with fibromyalgia, selected from a hospital pain management unit, participated in a 6 week interdisciplinary treatment that combined coordinated psychological, medical, educational, and physiotherapeutic interventions. Participants completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline and 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models were developed, using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score as a continuous variable. Results: Variables that were significant predictors of the long-term impact of fibromyalgia on health-related quality of life in patients who completed a 6-week interdisciplinary treatment were marital status, the number of concurrent conditions, years since the onset of pain, and symptoms of anxiety. In the longitudinal analysis, patients with symptoms of anxiety had lower rates of improvement than those without symptoms of anxiety. Discussion: Our results suggest that patients with lower level of anxiety have less impact on their HRQoL. The results also provide evidence that starting interventions as soon as possible is an important factor for improving health-related quality of life.