Background: Resilience has been identified as a potential contributor to improved physical function in individuals with fibromyalgia (FM). However, research remains sparse regarding many physical, psychological, and socio-demographic factors impacting physical function in adults with FM and the direct and indirect impact of these variables on resilience and physical function.

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to (1) employ a scoping review to better define the concept of physical function, explore measures that quantify physical function, and identify factors associated with physical function; (2) examine the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC-10 in an adult fibromyalgia population, and (3) test a structural equation model of factors (including age, race, sex, comorbidities, pain intensity, work status, resilience, and depression) that may impact physical function.

Methods: The scoping review used the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) method. A survey was distributed through the Autoimmune Registry to 200 adults with fibromyalgia. Rasch and differential item functioning analyses were used to examine the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC-10. Finally, a structural equation model was constructed to test the relationships between selected factors (age, sex, race, comorbidities, work status, pain intensity, resilience, and depression) and their impact on physical function.

Results: The scoping review findings revealed resilience, depression, and multi-morbidity were associated with physical function. The Rasch analyses found the CD-RISC-10 to be a reliable and valid measure of resilience in a national sample of adults with FM. Finally, a revised structural equation model of the factors associated with physical function supported the significant direct impact of resilience on depression, pain intensity, and physical function. Resilience was also found to impact physical function indirectly through pain intensity. Age and comorbidities were indirectly associated with physical function through resilience.

Conclusions: This work provided information about several social, physical, and psychological factors that were associated with physical function. There was additional support for the reliability and validity of the CD-RISC-10 measure. Further research on factors associated with physical function using psychometrically validated measures of resilience ensures more accurate measurement of critical attributes and informs interventions to optimize resilience and promote physical function.