Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Illinois

Hawk C, Jason LA, Torres-Harding S. · Hines VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois, USA. · Int J Behav Med. · Pubmed #17078775 No free full text.

Abstract: The goal of this study was to identify variables that successfully differentiated patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, major depressive disorder, and controls. Fifteen participants were recruited for each of these three groups, and discriminant function analyses were conducted. Using symptom occurrence and severity data from the Fukuda et al. (1994) definitional criteria, the best predictors were postexertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and impaired memory-concentration. Symptom occurrence variables only correctly classified 84.4% of cases, whereas 91.1% were correctly classified when using symptom severity ratings. Finally, when using percentage of time fatigue reported, postexertional malaise severity, unrefreshing sleep severity, confusion-disorientation severity, shortness of breath severity, and self-reproach to predict group membership, 100% were classified correctly.

Jason LA, Corradi K, Gress S, Williams S, Torres-Harding S. · DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Health Care Women Int. · Pubmed #16844674 No free full text.

Abstract: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness affecting thousands of individuals. At the present time, there are few studies that have investigated causes of death for those with this syndrome. The authors analyzed a memorial list tabulated by the National CFIDS Foundation of 166 deceased individuals who had had CFS. There were approximately three times more women than men on the list. The three most prevalent causes of death were heart failure, suicide, and cancer, which accounted for 59.6% of all deaths. The mean age of those who died from cancer and suicide was 47.8 and 39.3 years, respectively, which is considerably younger than those who died from cancer and suicide in the general population. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Wilbur J, Shaver J, Kogan J, Buntin M, Wang E. · College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA. · Health Care Women Int. · Pubmed #16844673 No free full text.

Abstract: We aimed to determine how menopausal transition symptoms cluster across 216 midlife women with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndromes (FMS/CFS), or both and subsequently to compare symptom factor severity scores by menopausal status among these women and compare symptom reporting with prior community-based samples of women without obvious illness. We designed a cross-sectional telephone survey of 216 women aged 35 to 55, diagnosed with FMS/CFS, symptomatic in the prior 6 months, and without hysterectomy. Thirty-six of 61 symptoms loaded on five factors: aroused/anxious mood, depressed mood/withdrawal, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal (GI), and vasomotor. Peri- and postmenopausal women had higher symptom severity scores for musculoskeletal, GI, and vasomotor factors but not mood factors. Symptoms for the women we studied who had FMS/CFS clustered similar to those in previous community-based samples of midlife women without major illness; however, the number of women experiencing symptoms was much higher among our sample.

Lin SM, Devakumar J, Kibbe WA. · Northwestern University, Robert H Lurie Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. · Pharmacogenomics. · Pubmed #16610959 No free full text.

Abstract: A desired application for microarrays in the clinic is to predict treatment response from an often diverse patient population. We present a method for analyzing microarray data that is predicated on biological pathway and function knowledge as opposed to a purely data-driven initial analysis. From an analysis perspective, this methodology takes advantage of information that is available across genes on a single array, as well as differences in those patterns across measurements. By using biological knowledge in the initial analysis, the accuracy and robustness of microarray profile classification is enhanced, especially when low numbers of samples are available. For clinical studies, particularly Phase I or I/II studies, this technique is exceptionally advantageous.

Taylor RR. · University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Occupational Therapy, 1919 West Taylor Street (MC 811), Chicago, Illinois 60612-7250, USA. · Am J Occup Ther. · Pubmed #16268016 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The social model of disability has had a major influence on the academic field of disability studies and on contemporary understandings of the causes and experience of disability. The purpose of this study was to examine the adequacy of the social model for explaining the disability experience of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). METHODS: This qualitative study examined the experiences of 47 adults with CFS participating in a research project that aimed to evaluate a participant-designed rehabilitation program. Data were aggregated from focus group interviews, open-ended questionnaires, progress notes, and from a program evaluation questionnaire. Data analysis was based on a grounded theory approach and used triangulation of multiple data sources and member checks to assure dependability of findings. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) minimization and mistrust of the disability; (2) negative experiences of impairment; (3) lack of identification with the disability community; and (4) the focus on advocacy as a quest for legitimacy. These themes varied in the extent to which they conformed to the principles set forth by the social model. CONCLUSIONS: Although the social model has important contributions to lend to occupational therapy practice, it is important to recognize that it may not capture the full reality of disability. In particular, the social model has serious limitations in describing the disability experience of individuals with disabilities who do not have visibly obvious disabilities and whose impairments do not conform to the traditional viewpoint of disability.

Njoku MG, Jason LA, Torres-Harding SR. · Center for Community Research, Chronic Fatigue Research Study, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Ethn Health. · Pubmed #16191727 No free full text.

Abstract: The present study focused on coping strategies among African Americans, Latinos, and European Americans with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF). The coping strategies examined were measured by using the COPE Scales, which assess Seeking Emotional Social Support, Positive Reinterpretation and Growth, Acceptance, Denial, Turning to Religion, Behavioral Disengagement, and Focusing on and Venting Emotions. In addition, the four coping strategies specifically designed for people with CFS, including maintaining activity, accommodating to the illness, focusing on symptoms, and information-seeking, were used in this study. It was hypothesized that African Americans and Latinos in comparison to European Americans would be more likely to use religious coping, behavioral disengagement, and denial. As predicted, African Americans were significantly more likely to turn to religion than European Americans, and Latinos and African Americans used denial significantly more often than European Americans. An additional finding was that focusing on symptoms was associated with greater fatigue and more physical disability among African Americans. Within the Latino sample, acceptance was related to greater fatigue and less physical disability, and greater optimism predicted less mental disability. Among European American participants, maintaining activity was related to less mental disability, whereas accommodating to the illness predicted more physical disability. These results indicate that coping varies among various ethnic groups with CFS and ICF; however, denial is consistently related to less adaptive outcomes. Therefore, healthcare professionals should find ways to reduce patient use of denial and promote alternative strategies for managing life events.

Mears CJ, Taylor RR, Jordan KM, Binns HJ, Anonymous00003. · Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA. · J Adolesc Health. · Pubmed #15581533 No free full text.

Abstract: PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence of prolonged fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)-like illness, and associated symptom patterns in adolescents attending primary care. METHODS: The design was cross-sectional. A questionnaire designed by the authors assessing fatigue and associated symptoms was administered to 901 adolescents (aged 11-18 years) attending 12 primary care clinics in the Chicago area. Prevalence rates for prolonged fatigue and CFS-like illness were calculated. Univariate comparisons involving sociodemographic data and fatigue severity were made between adolescents with and without prolonged fatigue, and sociodemographic and symptom predictors of prolonged fatigue were identified using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Prolonged fatigue (> or = 1 month) occurred at a rate of 8.0% and CFS-like illness occurred at a rate of 4.4%. Adolescents with prolonged fatigue were significantly older and also reported greater fatigue severity than those without fatigue. Findings from logistic regression indicated that, in addition to increasing age, headaches, muscle pains, fever, and fatigue made worse by exercise were significantly associated with prolonged fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal fatigue is a disabling and prevalent condition in adolescents in primary care. It is associated with a number of additional symptoms, many of which may have viral origins.

King C, Jason LA. · Spinal Cord Injury Service (128), Hines VA Hospital, P.O. Box 5000, Hines, IL 60141-5128, USA. · Biol Psychol. · Pubmed #15450690 No free full text.

Abstract: Since the publication of the case definition for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in 1988 the diagnostic criteria have been revised twice in the U.S. None of the case definitions were derived empirically. As a result, there is concern regarding the sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of the criteria. The goal of the present study was to identify methods for improving the diagnostic criteria for CFS. Three groups of 15 participants each were recruited: participants with (1) CFS, (2) major depressive disorder (MDD), and (3) healthy controls. Using statistical procedures, three methods for improving the diagnostic criteria were explored: identification of new diagnostic symptoms, the use of severity ratings for symptomatology, and the identification of standardized measures that differentiate cases of CFS from other conditions. Results of the present study suggest that these three methods hold promise for improving the sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of the diagnostic criteria for CFS.

Taylor RR, Braveman B, Hammel J. · Department of Occupational Therapy (MC 811), College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1919 West Taylor Street, 3rd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7250, USA. · Am J Occup Ther. · Pubmed #14763638 No free full text.

Abstract: Occupational therapy has a strong history of embracing concepts of client empowerment. However there is limited literature in the field on how to achieve empowerment, or on how to extend empowerment to the level of the community and social groups and services within it. This article discusses how concepts and strategies of participatory action research, an extension of empowerment theory, can be used to inform service development and evaluation in occupational therapy. The participatory action research approach is illustrated using two case examples of participatory action research programs for persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and individuals with autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). A critical analysis of the application of this approach to research and practice is provided. Finally, the paper identifies key principles of participatory action research that can be used to guide occupational therapy services and empower both individuals and communities.

Friedman LS, Brautbar N, Barach P, Wolfe AH, Richter ED. · The Social Policy Research Institute, Skokie, Illinois 60076, USA. · Arch Environ Health. · Pubmed #14535577 No free full text.

Abstract: In this study, the authors describe 2 patients who experienced confirmed exposures to anticholinesterases that commenced in the 1970s. Subsequently, elevations in creatine phosphate kinase (CPK) were initially detected more than a decade following the first acute exposure. Beginning in the early 1980s, the patients suffered from progressive generalized muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, myopathy, neuropathy, and severe neurobehavioral impairments. Previous occupational exposures included pyridostigmine, as well as isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (percutaneous lethal dose [LD50] < 28 mg/kg body weight), and 1 patient had exposure to agricultural organophosphates. The authors hypothesize that the workers' CPK elevations, first detected more than a decade following acute exposures to anticholinesterases, were sentinel events for impending muscle damage and necrosis. Many Gulf War veterans with Gulf War disease who reported exposures to anticholinesterases 1 decade earlier currently suffer from vague neuromuscular and cognitive impairments. Therefore, medical programs for Gulf War veterans with Gulf War Syndrome should include surveillance for elevated CPK, abnormalities of neuromuscular conduction, and genetic susceptibility, and they should promote therapeutic trials for palliation.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Kennedy CL, Jordan KM, Song S, Johnson D, Torres-Harding S. · Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Women Health. · Pubmed #12627607 No free full text.

Abstract: Most studies of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) have been based on patients recruited from primary or tertiary care settings. Patients from such settings might not be typical of patients in the general population. The present investigation involved examining individuals with CFS from a community-based study. A random sample of 18,675 respondents in Chicago were first interviewed by telephone. A group of individuals with chronic fatigue accompanied by at least four Fukuda et al. (1994) symptoms associated with CFS were given medical and psychiatric examinations. From this sample, a physician review group diagnosed individuals with CFS. Those diagnosed with CFS were subclassified based on frequency of symptoms. Important differences emerged on measures of sociodemographics and disability. The implications of these findings and others are discussed.

Yunus MB, Arslan S, Aldag JC. · Section of Rheumatology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, IL 61656, USA. · Scand J Rheumatol. · Pubmed #12455822 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine a possible relationship between smoking and fibromyalgia features among 233 female patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. METHODS: Data on clinical and psychological features were collected by a protocol. Smoking status was evaluated by a question inquiring about the packs of cigarettes smoked per day. Differences between the smokers and non-smokers were tested by Mann Whitney U test. To adjust data for age and education, a partial correlation test was used. A p value of < or = 0.01 was accepted as the level of significance. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (21.9%) smoked. After adjustment for age and education, significantly positive relationship was found between smoking and pain, patient global severity, functional disability, and numbness. There was no difference between smokers and non-smokers for fatigue, morning fatigue, sleep difficulties, tender points (TP), depression, anxiety and stress. CONCLUSIONS: Smokers reported significantly more pain, numbness, patient global severity, and functional difficulties than non-smokers. There was no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers for fatigue and TP.

Taylor RR, Jason LA. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Soc Sci Med. · Pubmed #12144139 No free full text.

Abstract: The relationship between sexual and physical abuse history and negative health effects has been well-documented in medical facility samples. Few studies have examined the role of abuse history and its relationship with chronic fatigue and psychiatric disorders in a diverse, randomly selected community-based sample. The present study compared rates of different types of abuse events in individuals with chronic fatigue and non-symptomatic controls. Relationships between specific types of abuse and psychiatric disorders commonly associated with chronic fatigue were also explored. A stratified random sample of 18,675 adults residing in ethnically and socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods in Chicago first completed a telephone screening questionnaire. A control group and a group of individuals with chronic fatigue symptomatology were identified and administered a semi-structured psychiatric interview assessing DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric disorders and a sexual and physical abuse history questionnaire. Controlling for sociodemographic differences, fatigue outcome was significantly predicted by childhood sexual abuse and the total number of different childhood abuse events. Within the chronic fatigue group, diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly predicted by childhood sexual abuse, childhood death threat, the total number of childhood abuse events, and lifetime abuse events. Sexual abuse during adolescence or adulthood significantly predicted other anxiety disorders among individuals with chronic fatigue. These findings suggest that a history of abuse, particularly during childhood, may play a role in the development and perpetuation of a wide range of disorders involving chronic fatigue. Among individuals with chronic fatigue, PTSD and other anxiety disorders appear to demonstrate the strongest association with abuse history. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Herrell R, Goldberg J, Hartman S, Belcourt M, Schmaling K, Buchwald D. · Division of Epidemiology-Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. · Qual Life Res. · Pubmed #12113393 No free full text.

Abstract: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and the symptom of chronic fatigue may be accompanied by substantial functional disability. A volunteer sample of twins discordant for fatigue was identified from throughout the US. Fatigued twins were classified using three increasingly stringent definitions: (1) > or = 6 months of fatigue (119 pairs); (2) CFS-like illness based on self-report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CFS research definition criteria (74 pairs); and (3) CFS assessed by clinical examination (22 pairs). Twins with chronic fatigue were compared with their unaffected co-twins on the eight standard scales and two physical and mental component summary scales from the medical outcomes study short-form health survey (SF-36). Substantial impairment was observed for fatigued twins across all levels of fatigue, while scores in the healthy twins were similar to US population values. Mean scores among fatigued twins on the physical and mental component summary scales were below 97 and 77%, respectively, of the US population scores. Diminished functional status was found across increasingly stringent classifications of fatigue and was associated with a dramatic decrement in physical functioning. The symptom of fatigue has a pronounced impact on functional status, especially in the domain of physical functioning.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Kennedy CL, Jordan K, Huang CF, Torres-Harding S, Song S, Johnson D. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. · Pubmed #12027245 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study examined characteristics of fatigue in individuals with chronic fatigue from a community-based study. Most studies of chronic fatigue have been based on patients recruited from primary or tertiary care settings. Samples such as these might not be representative of patients within the general population. The purpose of this study was to determine the factor structure of participants' symptoms in a random community sample of individuals with chronic fatigue. METHOD: A random sample of 18,675 respondents in Chicago received a brief telephone questionnaire designed to identify individuals with chronic fatigue. A group of 780 (4.2%) with chronic fatigue received further interview via telephone questionnaire involving characteristics of their fatigue. The analyses for this study were based on those people identified with having chronic fatigue. A factor analysis was conducted on responses to questionnaire items, and a four-factor solution emerged. Mean factor scores were derived and analyzed in relation to sociodemographic characteristics and sample subgroups. RESULTS: The four factors were labeled: Lack of Energy, Physical Exertion, Cognitive Functioning, and Fatigue and Rest. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that individuals with chronic fatigue have symptoms that can be differentiated into theoretically distinct factors.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Plioplys S, Stepanek Z, Shlaes J. · Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. · Am J Community Psychol. · Pubmed #11928774 No free full text.

Abstract: In recent years, considerable discussion has occurred about stigma surrounding the name given to an illness currently known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Although patients and medical personnel have expressed varying opinions on this issue, no studies have evaluated how beliefs about the illness change based upon the type of name used for diagnostic purposes. Proposals have been put forth to rename the illness with an eponym (a famous patient's or researcher's name) or with a less trivial sounding, more medically based type of name. In this study, attributions about CFS were measured in three groups of medical trainees. All groups read the same case study of a person with classic symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, with the only difference being in the type of name given. Trainees then were asked to provide attributions about certain aspects of the illness, including its cause, severity, and prognosis. Results suggested that, across name conditions, most trainees appeared to consider the symptom complex of CFS a serious illness resulting in poor quality of life. In addition, findings indicated that the name, chronic fatigue syndrome, may be regarded less seriously than the Myalgic Encephalopathy name with respect to some important aspects of the illness. In this study, specialty of medical trainee also played a role in how the illness was perceived.

Taylor RR, Jason LA, Curie CJ. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, 2219 North Kenmore Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Psychosom Med. · Pubmed #11914449 links to  free full text

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study examined predictors of fatigue severity and predictors of continued chronic fatigue status at wave 2 follow-up within a random, community-based sample of individuals previously evaluated in a wave 1 prevalence study of chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome that originally took place between 1995 and 1997. METHODS: Wave 1 data were from a larger community-based prevalence study of chronic fatigue syndrome. In the present study, a second wave of data were collected by randomly selecting a sample of participants from the wave 1 sample of 18,675 adults and readministering a telephone screening questionnaire designed to assess symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. RESULTS: Findings revealed that wave 1 fatigue severity was a predictor of fatigue severity at wave 2 in the overall sample of individuals with and without chronic fatigue. In the smaller sample of individuals with chronic fatigue, wave 1 fatigue severity, worsening of fatigue with physical exertion, and feeling worse for 24 hours or more after exercise significantly predicted continued chronic fatigue status (vs. improvement) at wave 2 follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the prognostic validity of postexertional malaise in predicting long-term chronic fatigue and also highlight the importance of using population-based, representative random samples when attempting to identify long-term predictors of chronic fatigue at follow-up.

Jason LA, Torres-Harding SR, Carrico AW, Taylor RR. · DePaul University, Center for Community Research, 990 West Fullerton Road, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Biol Psychol. · Pubmed #11790441 No free full text.

Abstract: This investigation compared differences in the occurrence of symptoms in participants with CFS, melancholic depression, and no fatigue (controls). The following Fukuda et al. [Ann. Intern. Med. 121 (1994) 953] criteria symptoms differentiated the CFS group from controls, but did not differentiate the melancholic depression group from controls: headaches, lymph node pain, sore throat, joint pain, and muscle pain. In addition, participants with CFS uniquely differed from controls in the occurrence of muscle weakness at multiple sites as well as in the occurrence of various cardiopulmonary, neurological, and other symptoms not currently included in the current case definition. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Taylor RR, Jason LA. · Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA. · J Nerv Ment Dis. · Pubmed #11708672 No free full text.

Abstract: Using a randomly selected community-based sample, this investigation examined whether histories of childhood sexual, physical, and death threat abuse predicted adulthood outcomes of specific medical and psychiatric conditions involving chronic fatigue. This study also tested prior suggestions that most individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome report a past history of interpersonal abuse. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between abuse history and chronic fatigue group outcomes while controlling for the effects of sociodemographics. Compared with healthy controls, childhood sexual abuse was significantly more likely to be associated with outcomes of idiopathic chronic fatigue, chronic fatigue explained by a psychiatric condition, and chronic fatigue explained by a medical condition. None of the abuse history types were significant predictors of chronic fatigue syndrome. A closer examination of individuals in the chronic fatigue syndrome group revealed that significantly fewer individuals with CFS reported abuse as compared with those who did not. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Carrico AW. · DePaul University, Department of Psychology, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Chronobiol Int. · Pubmed #11379670 No free full text.

Abstract: One proposed hypothesis regarding the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is that there is a subgroup of patients in which symptom onset is precipitated by a viral infection. If this is indeed true, then one would anticipate a greater incidence of the emergence of CFS symptoms during months when viral infections occur with the greatest frequency. The current community-based epidemiology study examined the month of symptom onset for 31 patients with CFS and 44 others with idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF). It was determined that the distribution of the month of illness onset for the CFS and ICF groups was nonrandom, with greater numbers of participants than expected reporting an onset of CFS and ICF during January.

Jason LA, Fricano G, Taylor RR, Halpert J, Fennell PA, Klein S, Levine S. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · J Clin Psychol. · Pubmed #11132566 No free full text.

Abstract: The present study examined the Fennell Phase Inventory, an instrument designed to measure the phases typically experienced by individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This inventory yields three factor scores of Crisis, Stabilization, and Integration. These factor scores have been employed in a cluster analysis, yielding four clusters that matched the four phases predicted by Fennell: Crisis, Stabilization, Resolution, and Integration. The present study represents a partial replication study of a prior investigation of the Fennell Phase Inventory by Jason et al. (in press), but that earlier study did not have an independent physician examination to diagnose patients with CFS. In the present study, 65 patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome by a physician were recruited and administered the Fennell Phase Inventory and other measures assessing CFS-related symptoms, disability, and coping. Each of the 65 patients was classified into one of four predefined clusters measuring a Crisis phase, a Stabilization phase, a Resolution phase, and an Integration phase. Relationships were explored between three of these cluster groupings and measures of symptoms, disability, and coping. Results confirmed Fennell's model, revealing significant differences between the three clusters in terms of levels of disability and modes of coping. Results suggest that the Fennell Phase Inventory accurately differentiates phases of adaptation to illness experienced by individuals with CFS.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Kennedy CL, Jordan K, Song S, Johnson DE, Torres SR. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. · Eval Health Prof. · Pubmed #11067190 No free full text.

Abstract: Most chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) studies are based on information about patients from primary or tertiary care settings. These patients might not be typical of patients in the general population. This investigation involved examinations of individuals with CFS from a community-based study. A random sample of 18,675 in Chicago was interviewed by telephone. Individuals with chronic fatigue and at least four minor symptoms associated with CFS were given medical and psychiatric examinations. A group of physicians then diagnosed individuals with CFS, who were then subclassified based on three sociodemographic categories--gender, ethnicity, and work status. Sociodemographic subgroups were analyzed in terms of symptom severity, functional disability, coping, optimism, perceived stress, and psychiatric comorbidity. Women, minorities, and nonworking individuals with CFS reported greater levels of functional disability, symptom severity, and poorer psychosocial functioning than men, Caucasians, and working individuals, suggesting sociodemographic characteristics may be associated with poorer outcomes in urban, community-based samples of CFS individuals.

Taylor RR, Jason LA, Torres A. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. · Psychol Med. · Pubmed #11037093 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There has been limited research comparing the efficacy of different fatigue rating scales for use with individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This investigation explored relationships between two commonly-used fatigue rating scales in CFS research, the Fatigue Scale and the Fatigue Severity Scale. Theoretically, these scales have been described as measuring different aspects of the fatigue construct. The Fatigue Scale was developed as a measure of the severity of specific fatigue-related symptoms, while the Fatigue Severity Scale was designed to assess functional outcomes related to fatigue. METHODS: Associations of these scales with the eight definitional symptoms of CFS and with eight domains of functional disability were examined separately in: (1) an overall sample of individuals with a wide range of fatigue severity and symptomatology; (2) a subsample of individuals with CFS-like symptomatology, and, (3) a subsample of healthy controls. RESULTS: Findings revealed that both scales are appropriate and useful measures of fatigue-related symptomatology and disability within a general population of individuals with varying levels of fatigue. However, the Fatigue Severity Scale appears to represent a more accurate and comprehensive measure of fatigue-related severity, symptomatology, and functional disability for individuals with CFS-like symptomatology.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Kennedy CL. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago 60614, IL, USA. · Psychosom Med. · Pubmed #11020095 links to  free full text

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine illness comorbidity rates for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). An additional objective was to identify characteristics related to the severity of fatigue, disability, and psychiatric comorbidity in each of these illness groups. METHODS: A random sample of 18,675 residents in Chicago, Illinois, was first interviewed by telephone. A control group and a group of individuals with chronic fatigue accompanied by at least four minor symptoms associated with CFS received medical and psychiatric examinations. RESULTS: Of the 32 individuals with CFS, 40.6% met criteria for MCS and 15.6% met criteria for FM. Individuals with MCS or more than one diagnosis reported more physical fatigue than those with no diagnosis. Individuals with more than one diagnosis also reported greater mental fatigue and were less likely to be working than those with no diagnosis. Individuals with CFS, MCS, FM, or more than one diagnosis reported greater disability than those with no diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of coexisting disorders were lower than those reported in prior studies. Discrepancies may be in part attributable to differences in sampling procedures. People with CFS, MCS, or FM endure significant disability in terms of physical, occupational, and social functioning, and those with more than one of these diagnoses also report greater severity of physical and mental fatigue. The findings illustrate differences among the illness groups in the range of functional impairment experienced.

Jason LA, Taylor RR, Kennedy CL, Song S, Johnson D, Torres S. · Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. · J Nerv Ment Dis. · Pubmed #11009329 No free full text.

Abstract: Most studies of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have been based on patients recruited from primary or tertiary care settings. Patients from such settings might not be typical of patients in the general population. The present investigation involved examining individuals with CFS from a community-based study. A random sample of 18,675 respondents in Chicago was first interviewed by telephone. A group of individuals with chronic fatigue accompanied by at least four minor symptoms associated with CFS were given medical and psychiatric examinations. From this sample, a physician review group diagnosed individuals with CFS. Those diagnosed with CFS were subclassified based on a variety of categories, including duration of illness, mode of illness onset, and presence or absence of a stressful life event directly preceding onset. In addition, we examined medical utilization among those diagnosed with CFS, as well as whether individuals with CFS were disproportionately represented in health care professions. Important differences emerged on measures of sociodemographics, symptoms, and functional disability. The implications of these findings and others are discussed.