ABSTRACT.
The aim of this research was to understand the impact of chronic pain on the quality of life of a group of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia. For this, a qualitative study of phenomenological interpretative design was carried out in which 15 women, aged between 23 and 60 years participated. Data analysis was performed with the support of the Atlas.Ti program. The results indicate that the intensity of symptoms, the interference of chronic pain in daily activities, the emotional alterations and the negative cognitions influenced his personal, family, social and work life. The coping strategies assumed by the participants facilitated or hampered the acceptance of the disease. It is concluded that the impact of fibromyalgia on quality of life depends more on coping strategies than on the symptoms of the disease. The support networks facilitate the development of active strategies to confront the disease.
Keywords:
Fibromyalgia; quality of life; coping; pain; gender