Health-related quality of life in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Psychological Determinants of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a Comparison Between a Portuguese and a Dutch Patient Sample

“…In addition, physical and psychological QoL were poor in both samples, confirming earlier findings showing that high levels of disability are associated with CFS [2,3]. Fatigue severity and somatic complaints were significantly associated with lower physical QoL in both samples.…”

“…Results revealed a fivefactor model of symptoms (musculoskeletal pain and prolonged fatigue, neurocognitive difficulties, sleep disturbance, inflammation, and mood disturbance), confirming that CFS is indeed a universal disease. Another study on health-related QoL conducted with US, UK, and German CFS patients showed that these patients reported a lower QoL in all countries [3]. In a study comparing the prevalence and recognition of CFS in primary health care services between Brazil and England [23], the prevalence of CFS appeared to be similar in both countries, but there were differences in the recognition of CFS as a discrete disorder leading to a lower number of diagnosed patients in Brazil.…”

“…Usually, fatigue is explained by life circumstances and is transitory, but for some, fatigue symptoms are indeed medically unexplained, can be severe and become chronic, resulting in functional and social impairment (e.g., inability to work), high use of health care resources, and lower quality of life (QoL) [2][3][4]. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fatigue is classified as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) when it lasts for at least 6 months, is not alleviated by rest, is debilitating, results in a significant reduction of daily activities, cannot be explained by an organic disease, and is accompanied by four or more of the following symptoms: unrefreshing sleep, lengthy malaise after exertion (lasting for over 24 h), impaired memory or concentration, sore throat, tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes, muscle pain, multi-joint pain without swelling or redness, and headaches of a new type or severity [5].…”

“…Patients may present with different levels of (mental and physical) fatigue severity, psychological distress, additional somatic symptoms, and different levels of impairment and disability [3,6]. For this reason, fatigue severity and related somatic symptoms, psychological distress and QoL, may vary between countries and cultures [22,23].…”

“…For this reason, fatigue severity and related somatic symptoms, psychological distress and QoL, may vary between countries and cultures [22,23]. Most studies on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of CFS have been conducted in northwestern Europe, North America, and Oceania [23], while there are very few international studies that compare patient populations from different countries [3,22,23]. Hickie and colleagues [22] explored CFS worldwide, using existing data from different cultures.…”