Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Cognitive, Behavioural and Emotional processing vulnerability factors

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

T2 - Cognitive, Behavioural and Emotional processing vulnerability factors

AU - Brooks, Samantha Kelly

AU - Chalder, Trudie

AU - Rimes, Katharine Amber

PY - 2016/11/30

Y1 - 2016/11/30

N2 - 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. Methods: CFS patients (n=67) at a UK specialist clinic completed questionnaires about psychological characteristics both currently and retrospectively (six months pre-CFS onset). Responses were compared to those of healthy individuals (n=73) who rated their current characteristics. Forty-four relatives retrospectively rated the premorbid psychological characteristics of the CFS participants.Results: CFS patients showed similar levels of current perfectionism to controls, though higher premorbid 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 six months pre-illness onset, CFS patients showed more disruption to their primary goal and greater general stress than controls. Ratings of premorbid 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 to healthy individuals.

AB - 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. Methods: CFS patients (n=67) at a UK specialist clinic completed questionnaires about psychological characteristics both currently and retrospectively (six months pre-CFS onset). Responses were compared to those of healthy individuals (n=73) who rated their current characteristics. Forty-four relatives retrospectively rated the premorbid psychological characteristics of the CFS participants.Results: CFS patients showed similar levels of current perfectionism to controls, though higher premorbid 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 six months pre-illness onset, CFS patients showed more disruption to their primary goal and greater general stress than controls. Ratings of premorbid 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 to healthy individuals.

KW - chronic fatigue syndrome

KW - aetiology

KW - Causes

KW - RISK

U2 - 10.1017/S1352465816000631

DO - 10.1017/S1352465816000631

M3 - Article

SN - 1352-4658

JO - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

JF - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

ER -