Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition, characterised by unexplained and excessive fatigue, muscle pain and sleep disturbances. Health anxiety is common in ME/CFS and accurate measurement is essential in facilitating therapeutic gains. However, there are clinical concerns over the utility of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) in measuring health anxiety in this population. This study aims to use qualitative responses from two ex-service users and specialist health clinicians to explore the barriers to completing the SHAI within a specialist ME/CFS service. Qualitative responses from a focus group consisting of 15 specialist health professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians, cognitive behavioural therapists, counsellors, clinical psychologists and assistant psychologists were transcribed and analysed for themes. Patient voices were represented by two former service users through individual semi-structured interviews on the telephone, which were recorded, transcribed and later analysed thematically. Clinicians and service user involvement agreed on core difficulties with the utility of the SHAI in the ME/CFS population. The timing of the SHAI being administered pre-diagnosis, the language of the SHAI and lack of context around the questionnaire were identified as barriers that were likely to contribute to the SHAI not being completed by service users. Sensitive and accurate measurement is required in order to retain patient engagement, which could further facilitate appropriate assessment and treatment of health anxiety and ME/CFS. Findings suggest that adaption of the SHAI is vital for use with ME/CFS.

A 5-year-old girl presented with chronic fatigue and extreme exercise intolerance. After countless doctor visits, investigations, and hospital admissions, striking desaturation during exercise test pointed to a cardiovascular problem. Desaturation as a result of right-to-left shunting through a patent foramen ovale during upright exercise was hypothesised. A cardiac catheterisation confirmed the presence of an unusually cranially located patent foramen ovale; the defect was subsequently closed. Physical re-evaluation 6 weeks later showed spectacular physical and mental improvement and stabile saturation during exercise.

Prolonged fatigue is increasingly reported among chikungunya virus (CHIKV)-infected populations. We investigated the relationships between CHIKV exposure, long-lasting rheumatic musculoskeletal pain (LRMSP) and chronic fatigue. 1094 participants (512 CHIKV seropositive and 582 seronegative) of the TELECHIK population-based cohort were analysed considering the duration of the manifestations throughout an average 2-year follow-up. Weighted prevalence rates and prevalence ratios for LRMSP, idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)-like illness, both latter syndromes adapted from Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-1994/Fukuda criteria, were compared. Population attributable fractions (PAF) were estimated to assess the contribution of CHIKV infection to each of the three phenotypes. Among 362 adult subjects who had reported either rheumatic pain or fatigue at the onset of the infection, weighted prevalence rates of LRMSP, ICF and CFS-like illness were respectively of 32.9%, 38.7% and 23.9%, and of 8.7%, 8.5% and 7.4% among initially asymptomatic peers (P < 0.01, respectively). Each of the three outcomes was highly attributable to chikungunya (PAF of 43.2%, 36.2% and 41.0%, respectively). In the sub-cohort of CHIKV-infected subjects, LRMSP, ICF and CFS-like illness, which overlapped in 70%, accounted for 53% of the chronic manifestations. In addition to rheumatic disease, chronic fatigue could be considered in caring for patients with chronic chikungunya disease.

Background: Cognitive-behavioural models of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) suggest that personality factors such as perfectionism and high moral standards may contribute to the development of CFS. Aims: To investigate cognitive, behavioural and emotional processing risk factors for CFS. Method: CFS patients (n = 67) at a UK specialist clinic completed questionnaires about psychological characteristics both currently and retrospectively (6 months pre-CFS onset). Responses were compared with those of healthy individuals (n = 73) who rated their current characteristics. Forty-four relatives retrospectively rated the pre-morbid psychological characteristics of the CFS participants. Results: CFS patients showed similar levels of current perfectionism to controls, though higher pre-morbid perfectionism. CFS patients showed greater self-sacrificial beliefs and more unhelpful beliefs about experiencing and expressing negative emotions, both currently but more markedly prior to onset. In the 6 months pre-illness onset, CFS patients showed more disruption to their primary goal and greater general stress than controls. Ratings of pre-morbid psychological characteristics by relatives were consistent with patients’ self-reports. The extent of overinvestment in one goal was significantly associated with fatigue. Conclusions: Perfectionism, self-sacrificial tendencies, unhelpful beliefs about emotions, and perceived stress may be present to a greater extent pre-morbidly in CFS patients compared with healthy individuals.

Background: Previous research indicates that liability to disability pension (DP) due to mental diagnoses is moderately influenced by genetic factors. This study investigates whether genetic contributions to the liability to DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses overlap with the genetic influences on major depression (MD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or chronic fatigue (CF).

Method: A prospective cohort study including 9,985 female twins born in Sweden 1933–1958. The presence of MD, GAD, and CF was assessed by computer-assisted telephone interviews conducted in 1998–2002. Data on DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses were obtained from nationwide registers for the years 1998–2010. Common genetic and environmental influences on the phenotypes were estimated by applying structural equation modeling.

Results: The prevalence of MD/GAD was 30%, CF 8%, and DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses 3% in 2010. Genetic effects on MD/GAD explained 31% of the total genetic variation in DP, whereas genetic contributions in common with CF were small and not significant. The majority of the total non-shared environmental variance in DP (85%) was explained by the factors that were unique to DP.

Conclusions: Large proportions of genetic and non-shared environmental influences in DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses were not explained by the contributions from MD/GAD or CF. The results suggest that the process leading to DP is complex and influenced by factors other than those related to the disorder underlying DP.

Research suggests that the personality factor of self-critical or maladaptive perfectionism may be implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, it is not clear whether self-critical perfectionism (SCP) also predicts daily symptoms in CFS.

The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot of Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The cognitive behavioural approach to the management of CFS has been proven effective and group therapy is often seen as a cost effective approach where possible. Six patients with CFS who met the inclusion criteria were taken from a waiting list for CBT and entered the group. Treatment involved 10 sessions of one hour spread over 18 weeks. Using questionnaire analysis, measures of pre, post, and follow-up scores were used. Analysis, comparing medians with the Wilcoxin Signed Ranks Test reached statistical significance on the Fatigue Questionnaire and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (p <.05) between pre and post-treatment levels. The authors conclude that these results may represent a useful approach to the management of CFS, but that a controlled trial is now required to establish this.

The degree of neuropsychological dysfunction across multiple domains was examined in individuals suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In this descriptive study, a similar series of neuropsychological tests was administered to a group of CFS patients and healthy participants. More specifically, CFS patients (n = 141) who met the 1994 Case Definition criteria were compared to 76 healthy control participants on tests of memory, attention (concentration), speed of information processing, motor speed, and executive functioning. On the 18 measures administered, CFS patients scored 1 standard deviation below the healthy mean on nine measures and scored 2 standard deviations below the healthy mean on four of the measures. Moreover, results indicated that CFS patients were more likely than healthy controls to fail (1.6 SD below the healthy mean) at least one test in each of the following domains: attention, speed of information processing, and motor speed, but not on measures of memory and executive functioning. Finally, CFS patients demonstrated a greater total number of tests failed across domains. (JINS, 2004, 10, 278–285.)