The role of psychosocial factors in fibromyalgia syndrome

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this review was to evaluate the role of psychosocial factors in the development of fibromyalgia syndrome. METHOD: Review of the literature concerning the influence of psychosocial factors. RESULTS: In fibromyalgia syndrome psychosocial factors are relevant at different etiological levels. They can be classified into predisposing, triggering and stabilising/"chronifying" factors. CONCLUSION: Due to the increasing knowledge about the influence of psychosocial factors for the development of fibromyalgia, the biomedical model has to be expanded to a biopsychosocial model. The biopsychosocial concept has an impact on the therapeutic approach. Strong evidence for the model is provided by the good results of interdisciplinary treatment studies.