Category: Psychiatry/Psychology

Stressors, personality traits, and coping of Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: preliminary surveys of Persian Gulf veterans revealed a significant prevalence of self-reported symptoms consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The purpose of this study was to compare self-reported life stressors, combat, and chemical exposures, personality and coping between Gulf War veterans with CFS and healthy veterans.

METHODS: following a complete physical, psychiatric, and neuropsychological evaluation, 45 healthy veterans, 35 veterans with CFS and co-morbid psychiatric disorder, and 23 veterans with CFS and no co-morbid psychiatric disorder completed questionnaires assessing war and non-war-related life stressors, self-reports of environmental exposure (e.g. oil well fires, pesticides), personality, and coping.

RESULTS: measures of personality, self-reported combat and chemical exposures, and negative coping strategies significantly differentiated healthy veterans from those with CFS.

CONCLUSION: a biopsychosocial model of veterans’ illness was supported by the fact that personality, negative coping strategies, life stress after the war, and environmental exposures during the war were significant predictors of veterans’ current physical function.

 

Source: Fiedler N, Lange G, Tiersky L, DeLuca J, Policastro T, Kelly-McNeil K, McWilliams R, Korn L, Natelson B. Stressors, personality traits, and coping of Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue. J Psychosom Res. 2000 Jun;48(6):525-35. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11033371

 

The role of personality in the development and perpetuation of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: Qualitative evidence suggests that personality may have special relevance to the predisposition, precipitation and perpetuation of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This study compares three dimensions of personality – perfectionism, self-esteem, and emotional control in the personality profiles of CFS patients (N=44) and a control group (N=44) without a history of CFS, matched for age and gender.

METHODS: Participants were assessed on the MPS [Frost RO, Marten P, Lahart C, Rosenblate R. The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognit Ther Res 1990;14:449-468.]; the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [Rosenberg M. Society and the Adolescent Self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ Press, 1965.]; the Courtauld Emotional Scale [Watson M, Greer S. Development of a questionnaire measure of emotional control. J Psychosom Res 1983;27:299-305.] and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale [Crowne DP, Marlowe D. A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. J Consult Psychol 1960;24:349-354.].

RESULTS: Analyses revealed that the CFS group reported higher levels than the control group on the Total Perfectionism score and Doubts about Actions and the Concern over Mistakes subscales. Furthermore, the CFS group also reported lower self-esteem than the control group. No difference between the two groups was found on the dimensions of emotional control and social desirability response bias.

CONCLUSION: A developmental model of CFS, which considers the predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors that may account for the course of the disorder irrespective of etiology, is proposed. In the context of the results, recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.

 

Source: White C, Schweitzer R. The role of personality in the development and perpetuation of chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychosom Res. 2000 Jun;48(6):515-24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11033370

 

Psychiatric correlates in chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

PURPOSE: This study presents psychiatric correlates in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) that emerged from the CDC’s Surveillance Study. It seeks to determine the time of onset and rates of syndromal psychiatric disorders and identify the predominant disorder. Other goals are to ascertain whether depression is associated with CFS symptomatology, compare syndromal to self- reported depression, and test for the specificity of the 1988 CDC case definition for CFS.

METHODS: All 565 enrolled subjects had fatiguing illnesses and were evaluated for CFS. They completed the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the DSM-III-R and the Beck Depression Inventory. Prevalence estimates for current syndromal psychiatric disorders were calculated. CFS symptoms were compared by depression status. Syndromal and self-reported depression were contrasted. Groups that did and did not meet the case definition were compared by three outcome variables.

RESULTS: Rates of current psychiatric disorders were high in CDC subjects compared to the community. The predominant disorder was depression. Although prior disorders tended to persist (75%), many disorders were incident to the fatiguing illness (57%). Depression was not associated with increased CFS symptomatology. There was only weak agreement between measures of syndromal and self-reported depression (kappa = 0.3219). Subjects designated as CFS had similar rates of syndromal psychiatric disorders, syndromal depression, and self-reported depression as did non-CFS subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: Current syndrome; psychiatric disorders appear associated with fatiguing illnesses. While prior psychiatric disorders are risk factors for current, the onset was largely concurrent with the fatiguing illnesses. The BDI should probably not be used as a measure for psychiatric morbidity in CFS subjects. Regardless of outcome, there was no evidence of specificity of psychiatric features to the CDC case definition.

 

Source: Axe E, Satz P. Psychiatric correlates in chronic fatigue syndrome. Ann Epidemiol. 2000 Oct 1;10(7):458. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11018367

 

Diagnosis of psychiatric disorder in clinical evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

The overlap of symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and psychiatric disorders such as depression can complicate diagnosis. Patients often complain that they are wrongly given a psychiatric label. We compared psychiatric diagnoses made by general practitioners and hospital doctors with diagnoses established according to research diagnostic criteria.

68 CFS patients referred to a hospital fatigue clinic were assessed, and psychiatric diagnoses were established by use of a standardized interview schedule designed to provide current and lifetime diagnoses. These were compared with psychiatric diagnoses previously given to patients. Of the 31 patients who had previously received a psychiatric diagnosis 21 (68%) had been misdiagnosed: in most cases there was no evidence of any past or current psychiatric disorder. Of the 37 patients who had not previously received a psychiatric diagnosis 13 (35%) had a treatable psychiatric disorder in addition to CFS.

These findings highlight the difficulties of routine clinical evaluation of psychiatric disorder in CFS patients. We advise doctors to focus on subtle features that discriminate between disorders and to use a brief screening instrument such as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

 

Source: Deale A, Wessely S. Diagnosis of psychiatric disorder in clinical evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome. J R Soc Med. 2000 Jun;93(6):310-2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1298034/ (Full article)

 

The search for legitimacy and the “expertization” of the lay person: the case of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Some “diseases” appear to be recognized first by sufferers. At times these diseases may be disclaimed by medical doctors and elusive to scientific categorization and description. In these cases sufferers may organize themselves together in support groups and lobby for money to finance the discovery of diagnostic markers that would legitimate and medicalize the constellation of symptoms that they experience.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is such a disease; and it is characterized by varied and changing symptomatology. Its diagnostic markers are in the process of being refined. Presently, its diagnosis primarily originates in reports of subjective experience of extreme fatigue. Often-times people diagnose themselves after attending a support group and find a doctor through a support group network who believes in the disease. Sometimes, people then return to their own family doctors with information and try to teach their doctors about what they believe to be the nature of their disease, its prognosis and treatment.

Through such paths as described in the paper, patients become “experts”: they may often know more about the illness than doctors and non-suffering others. This paper moves beyond the experience of chronic illness to describe the processes through which people seek confirmation and legitimation for the way that they feel and in a sense become the “experts.”

 

Source: Clarke JN. The search for legitimacy and the “expertization” of the lay person: the case of chronic fatigue syndrome. Soc Work Health Care. 2000;30(3):73-93. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10880009

 

Significant other responses are associated with fatigue and functional status among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The predictive power of partners’ responses to illness behavior for illness outcomes was investigated among couples in which one person had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

METHODS: One hundred nineteen participants who met case-definition criteria for CFS and were living with a significant other (SO) completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, responses of their SO to fatigue symptoms, and outcome measures of fatigue and functional status.

RESULTS: The results indicated that more frequent solicitous SO responses to illness behavior were predictive of greater fatigue-related severity and bodily pain. Solicitous SO responses to fatigue behavior were particularly influential in the context of a satisfactory relationship. In highly satisfactory relationships, solicitous SO responses were associated with significantly greater fatigue severity and fatigue-related disability than in relationships characterized by low or average satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS: Solicitous SO responses to CFS-related symptoms are associated with poorer patient outcomes, especially in the context of a satisfactory intimate relationship. Because of the cross-sectional nature of the study, the direction of effects cannot be interpreted unambiguously. SOs may be inadvertently positively reinforcing illness-related behavior: Solicitous partners may help the patient more with tasks of daily living, thereby decreasing the patient’s activity level, which may lead to deconditioning and disability. Alternatively, patients with more severe symptoms and disability may present more opportunities for concerned SO responses, which again may be heightened in the context of a caring, satisfactory relationship. In either case, the results suggest that additional research on the role of solicitous SO responses is warranted.

 

Source: Schmaling KB, Smith WR, Buchwald DS. Significant other responses are associated with fatigue and functional status among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychosom Med. 2000 May-Jun;62(3):444-50. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10845358

 

The difference in patterns of motor and cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome and severe depressive illness

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and major depressive disorder (MDD) share many symptoms and aetiological factors but may have different neurobiological underpinnings. We wished to determine the profile of the biological variables disturbed in CFS and MDD, and identify any critical factors that differentiate the disorders.

METHODS: Thirty patients with CFS, 20 with MDD and 15 healthy controls matched group-wise for age and sex were recruited. Subjects were given a detailed battery of motor and cognitive tests, including measures of psychomotor speed, memory and maximal voluntary muscle contraction in both the morning and evening that were balanced to avoid order effects.

RESULTS: CFS patients generally performed worse on cognitive tests than healthy controls, but better than patients with MDD. Both patient groups had markedly impaired motor function compared with healthy controls. MDD subjects showed a significantly greater diurnal improvement in maximal voluntary contraction than healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CFS and MDD show similarly substantial motor impairment, but cognitive deficits are generally more marked in MDD. Diurnal changes in some functions in MDD may differentiate the disorder from CFS.

 

Source: Lawrie SM, MacHale SM, Cavanagh JT, O’Carroll RE, Goodwin GM. The difference in patterns of motor and cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome and severe depressive illness. Psychol Med. 2000 Mar;30(2):433-42. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10824663

 

Cognitive behaviour therapy for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome

Update in: Cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome in adults. [Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008]

 

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: 1. To systematically review all randomised controlled trials of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS); 2. To test the hypothesis that CBT is more effective than orthodox medical management or other interventions in adults with CFS.

SEARCH STRATEGY: 1. Electronic searching of bibliographic databases, including Medline, PsycLIT, Biological Abstracts, Embase, SIGLE, Index to Theses, Index to Scientific and Technical Proceedings, and Science Citation Index, using multiple search terms in order to perform a highly sensitive search. 2. Electronic searching of the Trials Register of the Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis group. 3. Citation lists of relevant studies and reviews were perused for other relevant trials. 4. Contact with the principal authors of relevant studies, and with researchers in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials were included in which – adult patients with CFS; – received CBT or a control intervention, being either orthodox medical management or another intervention; – and whose outcomes were assessed in an appropriate way. CBT could be either type ‘A’ (encouraging return to ‘normal’ levels of rest and activity) or type ‘B’ (encouraging rest and activity which were within levels imposed by the disorder).’

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The two reviewers worked independently throughout the selection of trials and data extraction, comparing findings only when there was disagreement. Relevant trials were allocated to one of three quality categories. Full data extraction, using a standardised data extraction sheet, was performed on studies which were of high or moderate quality. Trials of low quality were excluded from the review. The comparisons made to test the review hypothesis were of type ‘A’ CBT versus other intervention(s), and of type ‘B’ CBT versus other intervention(s). Functional outcome was used as the main outcome for comparison, but other appropriate outcomes were compared where possible. Results were synthesised using the Review Manager software. For dichotomous data, the odds ratio was calculated for each study. For continuous data, effect sizes were obtained and the standardised mean difference, with 95% confidence intervals, was calculated.

MAIN RESULTS: Only three relevant trials of adequate quality were found. These trials demonstrated that CBT significantly benefits physical functioning in adult out-patients with CFS when compared to orthodox medical management or relaxation. It is necessary to treat about two patients to prevent one additional unsatisfactory physical outcome about six months after treatment end. CBT appeared highly acceptable to the patients in these trials. There is no satisfactory evidence for the effectiveness of CBT in patients with the milder forms of CFS found in primary care or in patients who are so disabled that they are unable to attend out-patients. Additionally, there is no satisfactory evidence for the effectiveness of group CBT.

REVIEWER’S CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive behaviour therapy appears to be an effective and acceptable treatment for adult out-patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. CFS is a common and disabling disorder. Its sufferers deserve the medical profession to be more aware of the potential of this therapy to bring lasting functional benefit, and health service managers to increase its availability. Further research is needed in this important area. Trials should conform to accepted standards of reporting and methodology. The effectiveness of CBT in more and less severely disabled patients than those usually seen in out-patient clinics needs to be assessed. Trials of group CBT and in-patient CBT compared to orthodox medical management, and of CBT compared to graded activity alone, also need to be conducted.

 

Source: Price JR, Couper J. Cognitive behaviour therapy for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD001027. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10796733

Personality in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Our aim was to study the presence of personality traits and disorder in adolescents with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Personality was then compared to other measures of functioning such as presence of psychiatric disorder and rating on the Child Behavior Checklist 4-18 (CBCL) and in relation to CFS outcome.

Twenty-five adolescents with CFS followed-up after contacts with tertiary paediatric/psychiatric clinics were compared with 15 matched healthy controls. Interviews and questionnaires from parents and youngsters included Personality Assessment Schedule (PAS), Kiddie-SADS Psychiatric Interview, Child Behavior Checklist. CFS subjects were significantly more likely than controls to have personality difficulty or disorder.

Personality features significantly more common amongst them were conscientiousness, vulnerability, worthlessness and emotional lability. There was a nonsignificant association between personality disorder and worse CFS outcome. Personality difficulty or disorder was significantly associated with psychological symptoms and decreased social competence on the CBCL but it was distinguishable from episodic psychiatric disorder. Personality difficulty and disorder are increased in adolescents with a history of CFS. Personality disorder may be linked to poor CFS outcome.

 

Source: Rangel L, Garralda E, Levin M, Roberts H. Personality in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2000 Mar;9(1):39-45. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10795854

 

Attributions in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome in tertiary care

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the attributions of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) consulting at a university fatigue and pain clinic.

METHODS: Consecutive attenders (n = 192) who met the CFS criteria (n = 95) or FM criteria (n = 56) or who had medically unexplained chronic pain and/or fatigue without meeting both criteria (CPF) (n = 41) were evaluated. All subjects completed an extended form of the Cause of Illness Inventory. Descriptive statistics, frequency analyses, chi-square tests, one-way analysis of variance, and sequential Fisher least significant difference tests were performed.

RESULTS: In total, 48 patients reported physical causes only and 10 patients psychosocial causes only; the majority (70%) mentioned both types of causes. With regard to the contents, “a chemical imbalance in my body” (61%), “a virus” (51%), “stress” (61%), and “emotional confusion” (40%) were reported most frequently. The diagnostic label did not have a significant influence on number and type of attributions. Small to moderate effect sizes were registered concerning the association of specific attributions and diagnosis, sex, duration of the symptoms, contact with a self-help group, and premorbid depression.

CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with CFS, FM, and CPF reported a great diversity of attributions open to a preferably personalized cognitive behavioral approach. Special attention should be paid to patients with symptoms existing for more than one year and those who had previous contacts with a self-help group. They particularly show external, stable, and global attributions that may compromise feelings of self-efficacy in dealing with the illness.

 

Source: Neerinckx E, Van Houdenhove B, Lysens R, Vertommen H, Onghena P. Attributions in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome in tertiary care. J Rheumatol. 2000 Apr;27(4):1051-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10782836