The Psychiatric Status of Patients with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Hickie, Ian B.; Lloyd, Andrew R.; Wakefield, Denis; Parker, Gordon

doi:10.1192/bjp.156.4.534

Cited by 251 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…This corresponds with the findings on adults with CFS. 25 On the YSR self-report measure separating the scales somatic complaints and anxious/depressed behavior, the adolescent girls with CFS had significantly more somatic complaints, but they did not differ significantly from the norm on anxious/depressed behavior. The somatic aspect is important in both the symptomatologies of anxiety and depression and of CFS.…”

Section: Psychosocial Functioning and Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Item analyses (Hickie et al 25 with adults) were performed to examine on which complaints that the adolescents obtained high and low scores ( Table 2). Items on which the adolescents attained high scores represented physical or mental fatigue, whereas relatively low scores were attained on items regarding actual anxiety (feeling frightened, scared, or terrified) and depression (weight loss and suicidality).…”

Section: Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychological Adjustment of Adolescent Girls With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

et al. 2001

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ABSTRACT. Objective. To examine psychosocial problems and adaptation of adolescent girls with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).Methodology. Thirty-six adolescent girls with CFS (mean age: 15.2 years; mean syndrome duration: 19.7 months) who fulfilled the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were examined by interviews regarding premorbid problems and by questionnaires regarding psychosocial functioning and distress, psychological attitudes, and coping resources. Data were compared with normative data.Results. Of the adolescents, 86.1% reported 1 or more premorbid problems (58.3% physical, 38.9% psychological, and 52.8% familial). Normal adjustment was reported for psychosocial self-esteem, social abilities, and attentional abilities. High adjustment to adult social standards of behavior was found, but low perceived competence in specific adolescent domains, such as athletic ability, romance, and participation in recreational activities. The girls reported predominantly internalizing problems. Normal achievement motivation, no debilitating fear of failure, and high internal locus of control were observed. Palliative reaction patterns and optimism were predominantly used as coping strategies.Conclusions. The large number of premorbid problems suggests a possible contributing factor to the onset of the syndrome, although there were no reference data of healthy adolescents. In distinct domains of psychosocial adjustment, the adolescent girls with CFS showed strengths such as adequate self-esteem and scholastic and social abilities, and weaknesses such as low competence in adolescent-specific tasks and internalizing distress, which may partly be explained by syndrome-specific somatic complaints. The use of optimistic and palliative reaction patterns as coping strategies in this patient group indicates that the patients with CFS seem to retain an active and positive outlook on life, which may result in a rather adequate psychological adaptation to the syndrome, but also in maintenance of the syndrome by exceeding the physical limits brought about by the CFS. Our results on adjustment and coping strategies may be helpful to implement (individual) rehabilitation programs. Pediatrics 2001;107(3). URL: http://www. pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/107/3/e35; chronic fatigue syndrome, adolescents, female, psychological adjustment, coping behavior.

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Section: Psychosocial Functioning and Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Adjustment of Adolescent Girls With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

et al. 2001

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“…The proportions of neurasthenics who also exhibit a psychiatric disorder range from onehalf to three-quarters in psychiatric samples (Allan, 1944;Taerk et al 1987;Manu et al 1988;Strauss, 1988;Swartz, 1988;Kruesi et al 1989;Wessely & Powell, 1989;Hickie et al 1990), and from one-third to one-half in primary care settings (Katon & Walker, 1993). Katon & Walker (1993) reported that the association between fatigue and anxiety and depression increases as one moves from the community to primary care to tertiary care facilities.…”

Section: Association Between Neurasthenia and Psychiatric Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurasthenia in a longitudinal cohort study of young adults

Merikangas

Angst

1994

Psychol. Med.

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SynopsisThis study examines the concept of neurasthenia in a longitudinal cohort of young adults selected from a community sample of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. The major focus is on the validity of the case definition of neurasthenia. Close approximations of the proposed descriptive and research definitions of the ICD-10 are employed as well as the concept of ‘irritable weakness’ as described in 1831 by Kraus (1926–1932).The prevalence of neurasthenia defined according to the ICD-10 criteria was: 1% across 10 years and 0·9% in 1988 for a duration criterion of ≥ 3 months; and 8·1% across 10 years and 12% in 1988 for a duration criterion of ≥ 1 month. The duration criterion of ≥ 3 months appeared to be excessively restrictive to represent individuals with neurasthenia in the community. Subjects with 1 month episodes of neurasthenia exhibited sufficient differences from controls and similarities to subjects with anxiety or depressive disorders to justify a 1 month duration criterion for neurasthenia in community samples.The clinical significance of neurasthenia was indicated by the magnitude of subjective distress, and occupational and social impairment reported by the majority of the cases. Prospective assessment of the longitudinal course of neurasthenia revealed that approximately 50% of the cases continued to exhibit this disorder at follow-up. Our findings suggest that neurasthenia is equally likely to represent an early manifestation of affective illness as it is a consequence in those neurasthenic subjects who exhibited comorbid affective disorders. The magnitude, chronicity, impairment, longitudinal stability and distinction from anxiety and depression associated with this condition in the general population, suggest that neurasthenia is an important diagnostic entity for which additional validation studies should be undertaken.

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“…SixtYpercent reported that their symptoms had caused considerable stress at work or at home, and many reported symptoms of depression. Several studies report a high prevalence of psychiatrie disorders, primarily major depression, anxiety and somatization disorder, among patients with CFS (Hickie et al, 1990;Kruesi, Dale & Straus, 1989;Manu, Lane & Matthew, 1989). It remains unc1ear, however, whether the depressive episode occurs after the onset of CFS symptoms and so could be interpreted as a response to chronic illness.…”

Section: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Cfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%