Fibromyalgia: A feminist biopsychosocial perspective

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome predominantly experienced by women and char acterized by pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and multiple tender points a t distinct locations on the body. Because of its prevalence and the common comorbidity of FM with depression and other conditions that prompt sufferer s to seek psychological care, it is incumbent upon psychologists to be fami liar with the syndrome, competent to provide assistance to afflicted indivi duals, and aware of the impact of gender politics on fibromyalgia sufferers . We present an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia, a brief summary of etiological possibilities, and a discussion of the experie nce of illness among affected individuals. We conclude by exploring the soc ial construction of the syndrome from,m a feminist perspective. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.