TY - JOUR
T1 - Illness perceptions and levels of disability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis
AU - Moss-Morris, Rona
AU - Chalder, Trudie
PY - 2003/10
Y1 - 2003/10
N2 - Objective: To investigate the strength of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients' negative illness perceptions by comparing illness perceptions and self-reported disability in patients with US and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Seventy-four RA patients and 49 CFS patients completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Results: When compared to the RA group, the CFS group attributed a wider range of everyday somatic symptoms to their illness, perceived the consequences of their illness to be more profound and were more likely to attribute their illness to a virus or immune system dysfunction. Both groups reported equivalent levels of physical disability but the CFS group reported significantly higher levels of role and social disability. Conclusion: Although the symptoms of CFS are largely medically unexplained, US patients have more negative views about their symptoms and the impact that these have had on their lives than do patients with a clearly defined and potentially disabling medical condition. The data support the cognitive behavioural models of CFS that emphasise the importance of patients' illness perceptions in perpetuating this disorder. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
AB - Objective: To investigate the strength of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients' negative illness perceptions by comparing illness perceptions and self-reported disability in patients with US and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Seventy-four RA patients and 49 CFS patients completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Results: When compared to the RA group, the CFS group attributed a wider range of everyday somatic symptoms to their illness, perceived the consequences of their illness to be more profound and were more likely to attribute their illness to a virus or immune system dysfunction. Both groups reported equivalent levels of physical disability but the CFS group reported significantly higher levels of role and social disability. Conclusion: Although the symptoms of CFS are largely medically unexplained, US patients have more negative views about their symptoms and the impact that these have had on their lives than do patients with a clearly defined and potentially disabling medical condition. The data support the cognitive behavioural models of CFS that emphasise the importance of patients' illness perceptions in perpetuating this disorder. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1542779658&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00013-8
DO - 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00013-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 14507540
SN - 1879-1360
VL - 55
SP - 305
EP - 308
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
IS - 4
ER -
