AUTHOR=Terol Cantero M. Carmen , Buunk Abraham P. , Cabrera Victor , Bernabé Miguel , Martin-Aragón Gelabert Maite 

TITLE=Profiles of Women With Fibromyalgia and Social Comparison Processes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00440

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00440

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Due to uncertainty regarding chronic pain in Fibromyalgia (FM) patients, there has been a growing interest in social comparison and its influence on emotional responses.</p></sec><sec><title>Aims</title><p>to analyze profiles in FM patients according to pain perception, social comparison strategies and anxiety and depression.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The sample consisted of 131 FM outpatients (Mean age: 50.15, <italic>SD</italic> = 11.1). Two scales were used: the Social Comparison Illness Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Two profiles were found by cluster analysis (K-means method): one (66%) with a higher level of <italic>pain perception, anxiety</italic> and <italic>depression</italic> and greater use of <italic>upward contrast</italic> and <italic>downward identification</italic> social comparison; and another (34%) with lower levels of <italic>pain perception, anxiety</italic> and <italic>depression</italic> and greater use of <italic>upward identification</italic> and <italic>downward contrast</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>These profiles underline the interest in social comparison strategies and their role in FM.</p></sec>