Clinical characteristics of fibrositis. II. A “Blinded,” controlled study using standard psychological tests

Twenty‐two patients with fibrositis and 22 control patients selected from a general medical outpatient population were given 3 standardized psychological questionnaires: the Beck Depression Inventory, the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the SCL‐90‐R. There were no statistically significant differences between fibrositis patients and control patients on any of these tests, a finding at variance with a commonly held belief that patients with fibrositis have an underlying psychological disorder. While psychological factors may be important in some patients with fibrositis, these results indicate that the presence of a psychopathologic condition is not mandatory for the persistence of fibrositis.