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Chronic fatigue syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

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“Chronic fatigue syndrome” (Sharpe et al, 1991) is an operational definition for conditions of disabling physical fatigue, of over six months duration, unexplained by primary physical or psychiatric causes. It encompasses nomenclature such as “myalgic encephalomyelitis” (Acheson, 1959), “post-viral fatigue syndrome” (Behan et al, 1985) and “chronic mononucleosis syndrome” (Straus, 1988).

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Research Article
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Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 1994 

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