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Normalizing Attributions May Contribute to Non–Help-Seeking Behavior in People With Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Received September 18, 2006; revised November 28, 2006; accepted December 4, 2006. From Erenkoy Psychiatry Hospital, Kazasker, Istanbul, Turkey 090. Send correspondence to Huseyin Gulec, M.D., Aydinevler Mah., Denizciler Sitesi, B Blok, D.1, Kucukyal, Istanbul Turkey. e-mail: huseyingulec{at}yahoo.com
© 2008 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Causal attributions of bodily perceptions indicate the possibility of some degree of control over events. Therefore, attributions are important to support the social significance of experience and confer meaning. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate whether non-patients with fibromyalgia (FMS) use more normalizing attributions than healthy control subjects and help-seeking patients. METHOD: Thirty-seven FMS patients attending tertiary care were compared with 38 non-patients and 34 healthy controls on mean anxiety, depression, attribution style, and alexithymia scores. RESULTS: Mean normalizing scores were greatest in the non-patient group, followed by the healthy-control group, and smallest in the tertiary-care attending group. Non-patients are using more normalizing explanations than the FMS patients and the healthy-control subjects. CONCLUSION: Thus, normalization may negatively influence help-seeking behavior and contribute to non–help-seeking behavior.

Key Words: Somatoform Disorder • Fibromyalgia • Help-Seeking

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