Psychosocial Factors and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is an illness characterized by a principal symptom of persistent or intermittent, disabling and unexplained fatigue together with a range of other symptoms. The proliferation of labels attached to the condition is symptomatic of the discourse surrounding its aetiology, and even its existence. The term CFS is usually preferred, because it makes no assumptions about aetiology and does not imply a unitary phenomenon. Although some agreement has been reached, at least for research purposes, concerning diagnostic criteria (Sharpe et al. 1991), the aetiology of CFS, as well as its symptomatology, management and prognosis, continue to be a source of controversy.KeywordsSocial SupportIrritable Bowel SyndromePsychosocial FactorChronic Fatigue SyndromeCoping StyleThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.