Research & Innovation
Publications
Health self-efficacy and general health in fibromyalgia
PMU Author
Martin Offenbacher
All Authors
Victoria A. Starks, Loren Toussaint, Fuschia Sirois, Jessie Dezutter, Jorg Schelling, Niko Kohls, Martin Offenbacher, Jameson K. Hirsch
Journal association
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Abstract
Fibromyalgia involves symptoms of pain, sleep disruption, and fatigue, which can have a deleterious impact on mental and physical health, and role functioning. Health self-efficacy, the perceived ability to manage and cope with health problems, may mitigate risk for functional disability and improve health perceptions. As a contributor to goal-oriented motivation, self-efficacy may facilitate hope and reduce hopelessness, thereby promoting willingness and motivation to engage in functional activities, with consequent benefit to perceived health. Our sample of 416 persons with self-reported fibromyalgia completed assessments of health self-efficacy, hope, hopelessness, role functioning, and general health. We conducted serial mediation linear regression analyses, covarying age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Supporting hypotheses, greater health self-efficacy was related to more hope and less hopelessness and, in turn, to fewer role limitations due to physical/emotional difficulties and, consequently, to better health perceptions (p < .001). Self-efficacy may facilitate health promotion engagement and use of adaptive coping (e.g., goal-setting; problem-solving), resulting in greater hope and less hopelessness, with downstream benefits for role functioning and health perceptions, perhaps as a result of strengthened motivation and determination to manage health, reduced negative emotionality, and enhanced perceptions of role capabilities. Healthcare providers should consider promoting self-efficacy and hope, and reducing hopelessness, perhaps via Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or self-management strategies, and by fostering interpersonal wellbeing, to facilitate role functionality and improve health perceptions in individuals with symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Keywords
SELF-EFFICACY, HOPELESSNESS, Fibromyalgia, Functional limitations, Hope, Role functioning