The Effect of Alexithymia, Anxiety, and Depression on Pain Severity in Female Patients with Fibromyalgia in Tehran

Fibromyalgia is a chronic and widespread pain syndrome, which is often accompanied by emotional disturbances. In this study, a hypothetical model of the effect of alexithymia, anxiety, and depression on pain severity in female patients with fibromyalgia in Tehran was tested.
In this cross sectional study, we selected 150 women with Fibromyalgia via convenience sampling. The patients were completed alexithymia (TAS-20), depression and anxiety (HADS), and pain intensity (SF-MPQ) scales.
The results indicated that the structural model of the variables was fitting well. Pain variable was found to be correlated with Alexithymia, depression, and anxiety. In this model, Alexithymia, depression, and anxiety have significant effects on pain severity.
This study demonstrated that anxiety and depression, which may be avoided and not expressed by individual, can affect pain in women with fibromyalgia. The findings suggest that interventions based on emotion regulation can effect on decreasing pain intensity in women suffering from fibromyalgia.