Helplessness as a mediator of health status in fibromyalgia

Based on learned helplessness theory, this research evaluated a model in wh ich helplessness and perceived control (internality) were hypothesized to m ediate the effects of pain and disability (quality-of-well-being) on depres sion and pain behavior in 122 participants with fibromyalgia. Path analytic procedures revealed that helplessness partially mediated the effects of pa in and disability on depression, and fully mediated the effects of pain on self-reported pain behavior. Disability was an independent predictor of bot h self-reported and observed pain behavior. Beliefs in internality were unr elated to depression and pain behavior measures, and thus did not serve bz a mediational capacity. The findings underscore the importance of the helpl essness construct in fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiol ogy.