AB1152-HPR Fatigue in Patients with Chronic Widespread Pain Participating in Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background In addition to pain, fatigue is a prominent symptom in patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP). The factors and mechanisms of change associated with (improvement in) fatigue in multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment are unclear. Objectives To explore the associations between (improvement in) fatigue and (improvement in) clinical and cognitive factors in patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP), participating in multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment. Methods Data were used from baseline, 6 and 18 months of follow-up during a prospective cohort study of 120 CWP patients who completed multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment. Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships were analyzed between fatigue, clinical (i.e. pain, interference of pain and depression) and pain related cognitive factors (i.e. negative emotional cognitions, active cognitive coping, and control and chronicity beliefs). Results Higher levels of pain, interference of pain, depression, negative emotional cognitions, and negative control and chronicity beliefs were associated with a higher level of fatigue. Improvement in depression was related to improvement in fatigue. Conclusions In CWP patients, worse clinical status, and dysfunctional pain related cognitions are associated with a higher level of fatigue. Our results suggest that improvement in depression might be a mechanism of improvement in fatigue. Furthermore, improvement in fatigue seems to be independent of improvement in pain related cognitions. Targeting fatigue in multidisciplinary pain treatment may need specific strategies. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4572