Abstract
Fibromyalgia is a condition that features bodily symptoms along with psychological components which, as yet, has no medically agreed-upon aetiology. Using a quasi-experimental design with a correlational element, the attitudes of 174 college students were measured across three recommended treatments to examine if attitudes to fibromyalgia would vary with treatment approach. As fibromyalgia is prevalent in women, gender differences in attitudes were also explored. This study used the illness/injury sensitivity index to examine the relationship between participants’ fears of illness with their attitudes to fibromyalgia, and finally prior knowledge of the disorder was also examined as having a possible effect on attitudes. Results found no significant difference between treatment approach groups or prior knowledge in attitudes. However, a significant difference was found between gender, and a weak positive relationship was found between illness/injury sensitivity and attitudes to fibromyalgia.
Author Keywords: Fibromyalgia, Attitudes, Gender, Illness,Sensitivity
