Fibromyalgia and the Act of Scrolling Through Social Media.

NCT07092462 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UsakPDR
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 173
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In recent years, the widespread use of social media and digital platforms has led to the emergence of behavioural patterns such as doomscrolling, which involves the compulsive consumption of negative or distressing online content. This can often lead to increased anxiety and psychological distress. While this phenomenon has been studied extensively in the general population, its impact on individuals with chronic pain conditions, particularly fibromyalgia, remains largely unexplored. FM is a complex disorder characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and cognitive difficulties, often accompanied by heightened emotional distress. As FM patients often experience anxiety and depression and engage in maladaptive coping strategies, doomscrolling may exacerbate their symptoms and impair their overall well-being. Existing research suggests that excessive social media use is linked to social media addiction (SMA), fear of missing out (FoMO) and poor sleep quality - all of which are particularly relevant to FM patients, who already struggle with sleep dysfunction and psychosocial challenges. Nevertheless, no investigation heretofore has specifically scrutinised the association between doomscrolling, SMA, FoMO and fibromyalgia-related disability. Understanding these associations could provide valuable insights into how digital behaviours influence FM symptomatology and help to identify potential intervention targets to mitigate negative outcomes.

Conditions

Fibromyalgia; Social Media Addiction

Keywords

fibromaylgia; doomscrolling; sleep disturbances; quality of life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Doomscrolling Scale

  Sharma et al. developed the Doomscrolling Scale to measure the extent to which participants scroll through persistently negative information on social media. Satıcı et al. conducted a study to create a Turkish version of the scale. The scale consists of 15 items. It is a 7-point Likert scale, where 1 equals strongly disagree and 7 equals strongly agree. High scores imply high levels of doomscrolling. In this study, the scale will be used with adults.

  Baseline

• Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale

  The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) will be used by the researchers to assess social media addiction. The BSMAS comprises six items. Each item is rated on a scale from one (very rarely) to five (very often). The items will be used to calculate the scores, with higher numbers indicating a higher degree of social media addiction. Demirci (2019) conducted the Turkish adaptation of the BSMAS used in this study. Demirci deemed the uni-dimensional structure of the Turkish BSMAS to be acceptable.

  Baseline

• Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ)

  The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is a tool designed to assess and evaluate the status, progress and outcomes of individuals living with fibromyalgia (FM). It takes approximately five minutes to complete the FIQ, which is a self-administered instrument. The instructions are straightforward and the scoring is self-explanatory. The FIQ comprises 10 items. A 4-point Likert scale is used to rate the 11 questions in the first item, which are all related to physical functioning. Scores range from 0, indicating no impairment, to 10, indicating maximum impairment.

  Baseline

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Fear of Missing Out Scale (FOMOS)

  Baseline

• The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

  Baseline

Study Arms (2)

Fibromyalgia patients

individuals suffering from fibromyalgia

Healthy subjects

healthy subjects will be matched with controls demographically (age, gender and education).

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 49 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

* The sample will consist of patients diagnosed with "Fibromyalgia" who are under the follow-up of Uşak Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. * A small control group of 50 participants will be included in the study. To minimise confounding factors, healthy subjects will be matched with controls demographically (age, gender and education).

You may qualify if:

• Being within the 18-49 age group (based on date of birth).
• Not practising any regular sport or exercise.
• Not having any chronic health problems or physical disabilities.
• Volunteering to participate in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• The presence of diagnosed neurological diseases that may adversely affect quality of life (similar to MS or migraine).
• The presence of diagnosed psychiatric diseases that may adversely affect quality of life (similar to depression or OCD).
• The presence of diagnosed rheumatological diseases that may adversely affect quality of life (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis).
• Not using a smartphone as part of one's lifestyle (i.e. not using applications).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Uşak University: lead
• Balikesir University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Usak University

Uşak, 64200, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Can G, Satici SA. Adaptation of fear of missing out scale (FoMOs): Turkish version validity and reliability study. Psicol Reflex Crit. 2019 Jan 22;32(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s41155-019-0117-4.

  PMID: 32026206 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fibromyalgia; Internet Addiction Disorder; Parasomnias

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Technology Addiction; Behavior, Addictive; Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior; Sleep Wake Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Ender Salbas, asst. proff.

  Balikesir University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Target Duration: 1 Day
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2025
• First Posted: July 29, 2025
• Study Start: August 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: September 15, 2025
• Study Completion: October 1, 2025
• Last Updated: November 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: After the study was published
• Access Criteria: If the study is published in a journal, then the data will be open

Locations

TU (1)