Psychopathological profiles in fibromyalgia and chronic tensional type headache. Comparison with undifferentiated somatoform disorder

Abstract

Fibromyalgia and Tensional Headache are two of the most prevalent functional disorders. Both seem to imply relationships with processes of the psychopathological sphere. However, they have been little studied since Psychiatry. This descriptive observational research  work, with a consulting population of the “T. Álvarez” Hospital, Buenos Aires city, Argentina, focuses on certain psychiatric and psychological variables chosen for this purpose. The results are compared with those of a sample of patients diagnosed with Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder, from the Mental Health service. The investigation showed affectation of different variables (Ham A, Ham D, subscale of somatization of SCL 90 and clinical scales of the MMPI II test). The existence of regularities was observed through the three groups of patients in the aforementioned variables. The existence of a certain common psychometric profile is hypothesized, both for the two functional medical tables and for the somatizing patients of the Mental Health sample.