Perceived Contributing Factors, Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS‪)‬

Health care providers should have a better understanding of how a fibromyalgia patient perceives their illness in order to tailor interventions specific to the patient's biological and psychosocial needs. A cross-sectional, exploratory study design was used to evaluate the perceived contributing factors, locus of control and self-efficacy of 267 female fibromyalgia patients via an online survey. The most frequent perceived contributing factors were stress/worry, overwork and accident or injury. Participants tended to have a more internal locus of control and lower levels of self-efficacy. Respondents with an internal locus of control were more confident in performing skills necessary to manage their fibromyalgia compared to those respondents with an external locus of control. The internal reliability and validity of the survey instrument was acceptable. Healthcare professionals can use this survey to assess fibromyalgia patients' beliefs about their illness and their ability to effectively participate in self-management techniques.