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The Psychiatric Status of Patients with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Ian Hickie ,
Andrew Lloyd ,
Denis Wakefield  and
Gordon Parker
Ian Hickie*
Affiliation:
Mood Disorders Unit, Division of Psychiatry, Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney, 2036 Australia
Andrew Lloyd
Affiliation:
School of Pathology, University of New South Wales, Kensington NSW, Australia
Denis Wakefield
Affiliation:
School of Pathology, University of New South Wales, Kensington NSW, Australia
Gordon Parker
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry (University of New South Wales), Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney, Australia
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

The prevalence of psychiatric disorder in 48 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was determined. Twenty-two had had a major depressive (non-endogenous) episode during the course of their illness, while seven had a current major (non-endogenous) depression. The pre-morbid prevalence of major depression (12.5%) and of total psychiatric disorder (24.5%) was no higher than general community estimates. The pattern of psychiatric symptoms in the CFS patients was significantly different to that of 48 patients with non-endogenous depression, but was comparable with that observed in other medical disorders. Patients with CFS were not excessively hypochrondriacal. We conclude that psychological disturbance is likely to be a consequence of, rather than an antecedent risk factor to the syndrome.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 156 , Issue 4 , April 1990 , pp. 534 - 540
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

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