Resumen de High Levels of Empathic Concern in Fibromyalgia Patients: Altos niveles de preocupación empática en pacientes con fibromialgia

Deborah Leyton Hernández, Lisandro Vales

• Introduction: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome that is characterized by chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep, cognitive and mood disorders. From a clinical standpoint, these patients have excessive concern for others, which is related to their empathic capacity. There are few studies on social cognition in FM.

  Materials and Methods: The relationship between FM and empathy was studied in 22 adults with FM. Instruments: Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI).

  Results: High scores were observed in all of the domains of empathy. Relationships were found indicating that: 1) the lower the fantasy, the greater the overall impact of FM; 2) the greater the personal distress, the greater the FM symptomatology.

  Conclusions: People with FM present high empathic capacity; and empathic concern stands out as a primary dimension of empathy. Fantasy seems to be a buffer in FM. High levels of personal distress are associated with increased symptomatology of Fibromyalgia.