Correspondence

Cuykx, V.; Houdenhove, Boudewijn Van; Neerinckx, Eddy

doi:10.1016/s0163-8343(98)00053-x

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…They notably suggest that treatment approaches should pay sufficient attention to CFS/FM patients’ struggle with a multitude of daily hassles that severely impact their self-image and lay a heavy burden on their personal, professional and social functioning. This would imply that psycho-educational, cognitive-behavioural and ‘graded activity’ treatments [43, 44, 45]should in many cases be complemented with experiential or psychodynamically-oriented therapeutic strategies [46, 47]– not only to support the patients’ coping with symptoms and functional limitations, but also to help them adapt to changing ambitions and life goals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily Hassles Reported by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Patients in Tertiary Care: A Controlled Quantitative and Qualitative Study

Houdenhove

Neerinckx²,

Onghena

et al. 2002

Psychother Psychosom

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Background: This study aimed at providing insight in the frequency, emotional impact and nature of daily hassles, experienced by patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and/or fibromyalgia (FM), compared with patients with a chronic organic disease. Methods: One hundred and seventy-seven CFS/FM patients, 26 multiple sclerosis (MS) and 26 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were investigated within 2–6 months after diagnosis. All patients completed a self-report questionnaire assessing daily hassles and associated distress, a visual analogue scale assessing fatigue and pain and a depression and anxiety questionnaire. Results: CFS/FM patients show a higher frequency of hassles, higher emotional impact and higher fatigue, pain, depression and anxiety levels compared with MS/RA patients. Three hassle themes dominate in the CFS/FM group: dissatisfaction with oneself, insecurity and a lack of social recognition. In contrast, hassles reported by MS/RA patients show a much larger diversity and are not focused on person-dependent problems. Conclusions: Patients recently diagnosed as suffering from CFS and/or FM are highly preoccupied and distressed by daily hassles that have a severe impact on their self-image, as well as their personal, social and professional functioning. An optimal therapeutic approach of CFS and FM should take account of this heavy psychosocial burden, which might refer to core themes of these patients’ illness experience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily Hassles Reported by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Patients in Tertiary Care: A Controlled Quantitative and Qualitative Study

Houdenhove

Neerinckx²,

Onghena

et al. 2002

Psychother Psychosom

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“…CFS represents a huge problem for contemporary health care because of its high prevalence (estimates vary between 0.5 to 2.5% in the general population),2,3 but also because of the associated physical and psychosocial disability, leading to high direct as well as indirect medical and societal costs. Moreover, both clinical experience4 and research5 indicate that CFS is often difficult to treat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Findings, Principles and Strategies

Luyten

Houdenhove

Pae

et al. 2008

Psychiatry Investig

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Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition characterized by serious medically unexplained mental and physical fatigue. The high prevalence and both direct and indirect health costs of CFS patients represent a huge problem for contemporary health care. Moreover, the prognosis of CFS, even when treated, is often poor. In this paper, we first critically review current evidence based treatments of CFS. Second, we discuss the growing insights into the etiopathogenesis of CFS, and the need to translate and integrate these insights into future treatments. In particular, we formulate a pragmatic and empirically testable treatment approach, tailored to the individual needs of patients, which aims at restoring the mental and physical equilibrium of CFS patients by trying to bring about sustained life style changes.

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