Fibromyalgia (FM) can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms and sexual dysfunction. However, no data exist regarding anxiety and depression status in spouses of sexually active women with FM. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate whether emotional status are affected in spouses of women with FM, and to search whether there was a relationship between sexual dysfunction of women with FM and emotional status of their spouses.
Thirty newly diagnosed, never treated reproductive women with FM and 30 age-matched healthy women as well as their spouses were included. Psychological status was evaluated using Beck depression/anxiety inventory (BDI/BAI). Sexual function was evaluated using Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF).
BDI, BAI, FSFI and IFSF scores were significantly higher in women with FM than in controls. The spouses of women with FM had increased BDI and BAI scores as compared to spouses of controls (7.10 ± 7.76 vs. 2.10 ± 2.68, 6.96 ± 6.62 vs. 2.20 ± 3.16, respectively, p<0.001). BDI scores of women with FM significantly correlated to BDI scores of their spouses, but there was no significant relationship between BDI scores of spouses and sexual functions of women with FM.
FM can cause deterioration of emotional status and lead to sexual dysfunction. Also, psychological status could be affected in spouses of women with FM at reproductive age, and the severity of depression of their spouses was significantly correlated to that of women with FM. However, this affection in psychological status did not relate to sexual problems of the women with FM.