Client-centered lifestyle intervention for men with fibromyalgia syndrome: Is efficacy independent of gender?

AIM: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) has a significant impact on daily life, but the fact that most diagnosed individuals are women makes it difficult to understand the occupational needs and lifestyle choices of male patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a client-centered lifestyle intervention program in men with fibromyalgia and compare it with women.

METHODS

The client-centered lifestyle intervention program was applied to 15 men with fibromyalgia in two sessions per week for 4 weeks in individual sessions and compared with data from 15 women who had previously participated in the same program. The Revised Fibromyalgia Questionnaire, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as outcome measures.

RESULTS

When comparing results between baseline and 4 weeks later, statistically significant differences were found in the male group in the areas of fibromyalgia severity (p = .001), occupational performance (p = .001), occupational satisfaction (p = .001), anxiety (p = .002), depression (p = .005), and life satisfaction (p = .002). It was found that occupational performance and occupational satisfaction increased significantly more in women than in men (p = .004 and p = .001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The client-centered lifestyle intervention was shown to be effective in fibromyalgia severity, occupational performance, occupational satisfaction, anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction of both men and women with FMS. Levels of progress in occupational participation could show gender-based differences. The study suggests that more attention should be paid to psychosocial factors when assessing men's occupational participation and planning appropriate interventions.