Author:
Cope H.,Mann A.,Pelosi A.,David A.
Abstract
SynopsisThis study investigated psychosocial morbidity, coping styles and health locus of control in 64 cases with and without chronic fatigue identified from a cohort of primary care patients recruited 6 months previously with a presumed, clinically diagnosed viral illness. A significant association between chronic fatigue and psychosocial morbidity, somatic symptoms and escape-avoidance coping styles was shown. Chronic fatigue cases were significantly more likely to have a past psychiatric history and a current psychiatric diagnosis based on a standardized clinical interview. Twenty-three of the cases fulfilled criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Such cases were significantly more fatigued than those not fulfilling criteria, but had little excess psychiatric disorder. A principal components analysis provided some evidence for chronic fatigue being separable from general psychosocial morbidity but not from the tendency to have other somatic complaints. Past psychiatric history and psychological distress at the time of the viral illness were risk factors for psychiatric ‘caseness’ 6 months later, while presence of fatigue, psychologising attributional style and sick certification were significant risk factors for CFS. These findings extend a previous questionnaire study of predictors of chronic ‘post-viral’ fatigue.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health,Applied Psychology
Reference46 articles.
1. Wessely S. , Chalder T. , Hirsch S. , Wallace P. & Wright D. J. M. (1996 a). Psychological symptoms, somatic symptoms and psychiatric morbidity in chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndromeia prospective primary care study. American Journal of Psychiatry (in the press).
2. Attributions of common somatic symptoms
3. Patients with fatigue in general practice: a prospective study.
Cited by
43 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献