The relationship between dietary intake and the pathology of CFS has been an area of intense speculation without strong research support. There may be important links between diet and symptoms such that dietary interventions may be efficacious as adjunct therapy. This study was designed to assess any dietary abnormalities among Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. The purpose of this study is to make a controlled assessment of usual dietary intake so that dietary recommendations for CFS patients can be made. A Diet History Questionnaire, provided by the National Institute of Health, was used to analyze usual dietary intake among CFS patients. Women, ages I 8 and older, diagnosed by a physician with CFS, and were asked to complete the online survey. To complete the questionnaire, participants were provided with a user name and password and asked to answer a number of questions about their dietary habit. Twenty (n=20) women with CFS completed the questionnaire. The results were compiled and analyzed using Diet-Calc software and compared with nonnative data. Several nutrients were found to be deficient in more than 75% of the CFS patients.

No description available.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) är en komplex sjukdom av okänd etologi. ME/CFS syns inte på utsidan men leder till funktionsnedsättning i varierande grad. Okunskapen om sjukdomen är stor vilket leder till att många får diagnos i ett sent skede eller en felaktig diagnos. ME/CFS innebär en etisk utmaning för forskningen, samhället och inte minst för sjukvården, då evidens för både omvårdnad och behandling fortfarande saknas. Syftet var att undersöka personers erfarenheter av att leva med ME/CFS. I databearbetningen framkom tre kategorier: möte med vården, påverkan på vardagen samt anpassning till livssituationen. I resultatet påvisas erfarenheter från personer med ME/CFS och hur de upplever bemötandet med vården och den okunskap som råder. Det framkommer att sjukdomen påverkar identitet, relationer och aktivitetsförmåga. Resultatet visar även hur livet förändras samt vilka strategier som krävs för att hantera vardagen när förutsättningarna i livet förändras. För att möta omvårdnadsbehovet hos personer med ME/CFS krävs mer forskning och utbildning för vårdpersonal. / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex disease of unknown etiology. Although ME/CFS is not visible on the outside, it leads to disability in varying degrees. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the disease, which often leads to a delayed or incorrect diagnosis. ME/CFS represents an ethical challenge for research, society and especially for healthcare professionals since no evidence-based nursing or treatment are available. The aim was to investigate people’s experiences with ME/CFS. Three categories emerged in the data analysis: meeting with the health care, impact on daily life and adaption to the new life situation. The result shows experiences of people with ME/CFS and how they feel they are treated by the healthcare system and the lack of knowledge that exists. It appears that the disease affects identity, relationships and abilities in physical activity. The result also shows how life changes and what strategies are required to manage everyday life when the conditions in life change. To meet the nursing needs of people with ME/CFS, more research on the subject, as well as education for healthcare professionals, are necessary.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Background: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a complex disease with unknown cause. It affects about 0.4 percent of the population. It is a chronic disease that manifests itself in an impairment fatigue that is impaired by physical exertion. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to illustrate how people diagnosed with ME/CFS experience the primary care treatment. Method: An empirical questionnaire with mixed method was used. Most questionnaires were quantitative, and one question was qualitative. Result: ME patients may wait several years and meet several doctors before they get their diagnosis. The result showed that most respondents felt that they did not receive good treatment in primary care. Conclusion: People with ME/CFS want to be treated with respect and want primary care to listen and take them seriously. In a partnership between the primary care and healthcare personnel, they could meet more equally, and the ME sufferers would not have to wait several years to meet several doctors before receiving the assistance and support they need in their illness. Clinical significance: New research on how healthcare professionals can help people with ME/CFS is needed. Research would also be needed on how the role of nurse could be extended to be a key part of primary care for people with ME/CFS.

by Yu Hong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-100). / ABSTRACT --- p.I / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.III / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.IV / Chapter CHAPTER ONE - --- INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO - --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Psychiatric morbidity in Western patients with fatigue --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2 --- Chronic fatigue syndrome as a contemporary version of neurasthenia --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3 --- The evolution of Shenjing Shuairuo in Chinese societies --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- The place of fatigue in Shenjing Shuairuo --- p.15 / Chapter 2.5 --- Shenjing Shuairuo and chronic fatigue syndrome --- p.17 / Chapter 2.6 --- Mood disturbances in Shenjing Shuairuo --- p.20 / Chapter 2.7 --- Somatization in Shenjing Shuairuo --- p.23 / Chapter 2.8 --- Current and future research issues --- p.25 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE - --- OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESES --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Objectives --- p.29 / Chapter 3.2 --- Significance --- p.29 / Chapter 3.3 --- Hypotheses --- p.30 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR - --- METHOD --- p.32 / Chapter 4.1 --- Research design --- p.33 / Chapter 4.2 --- Site of study --- p.35 / Chapter 4.-3 --- Subjects --- p.35 / Chapter 4.4 --- Instruments --- p.37 / Chapter 4.5 --- "Coordination, training and reliability" --- p.41 / Chapter 4.6 --- Summery of procedure --- p.42 / Chapter 4.7 --- Data management and analysis --- p.45 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE - --- RESULT --- p.46 / Chapter 5.1 --- Sociodemography --- p.47 / Chapter 5.2 --- DSM-III-R diagnoses --- p.49 / Chapter 5.3 --- The diagnosis of neurasthenia --- p.51 / Chapter 5.4 --- The diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome --- p.51 / Chapter 5.5 --- Psychopathological profiles --- p.52 / Chapter 5.6 --- Aspects of illness experience --- p.54 / Chapter 5.7 --- Comparison by diagnostic categories --- p.59 / Chapter 5.8 --- Duration and severity of fatigue --- p.64 / Chapter 5.9 --- Comparison by sex --- p.67 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX - --- DISCUSSION --- p.69 / Chapter 6.1 --- Psychiatric morbidity of patients with chronic fatigue --- p.70 / Chapter 6.2 --- "Shenjing Shuairuo, depression and anxiety disorders" --- p.72 / Chapter 6.3 --- The delegitimation of fatigue --- p.75 / Chapter 6.4 --- Shenjing Shuairuo and chronic fatigue syndrome --- p.77 / Chapter 6.5 --- Shenjing Shuairuo and somatization --- p.81 / Chapter 6.6 --- Limitations of study --- p.84 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN - --- CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTION --- p.88 / Chapter 7.1 --- Conclusion --- p.89 / Chapter 7.2 --- Suggestions for future research --- p.90 / REFERENCES --- p.92

Denna studie syftar till att genom ett pedagogiskt perspektiv undersöka människors berättelser om tillfrisknande från utmattningssyndrom med fokus på förändringsprocesser, lärande och utveckling. För att kunna uppnå studiens syfte har två frågeställningar använts. Den ena är, på vilket sätt uppfattar informanterna att det har skett en förändring från dagen de fick sjukdomsdiagnosen fram tills idag? Den andra frågeställningen är, på vilket sätt har vägen ur ett utmattningssyndrom utvecklat informanterna? För att läsaren skulle få en tydligare bild av vad begreppet utmattningsdiagnos innebar redogjordes det kort för begreppet. En bakgrundsdel presenterades även för att läsaren skulle få en tydligare bild av varför personer drabbas av utmattningssyndrom. Efter bakgrundsdelen redogjordes det för den tidigare forskning som studerats när det gäller faktorer som kan främja och hindra ett eventuellt tillfrisknande från utmattningssyndrom.   För att uppnå studiens syfte och undersöka människors berättelser om tillfrisknandet från utmattningssyndrom användes intervjumetoden semistrukturerad intervju som metodansats. Efter att intervjuerna genomförts bearbetades materialet genom att det sorterades, reducerades och till sist analyserades. Resultatet visade, om personerna skulle kunna ta sig ur utmattningssyndromet var det viktigt att dem reflekterade över situationen och genomförde konkreta förändringar i arbetsliv samt vardag. Det kunde exempelvis handla om att sätta gränser, ta kontroll över situationen och hitta en balans mellan privatliv samt arbetsliv. När personer som drabbats av utmattningssyndrom genomför denna förändringsprocess är risken mindre att de återigen hamnar i ett utmattningssyndrom. Anledningen till detta är för att de har lärt sig mer om sig själva och att de har utvecklats som personer. / This study aims to investigate people’s stories of recovery from burnout with focus on the changing process, learning and development thru an educational perspective. To accomplish the reason for the study two questions have been used. The first question is, in what way does the informants perceive that an alteration has been made from the day that they were diagnosed with burnout until today? The second question is, in what way have the road to recovery from burnout developed the informants? To give the reader a clearer image of what the term burnout means a short explanation was made about the meaning of the term. A background was also presented to clarify why people get this diagnosis. Thereafter an explanation of the previous research that has been conducted regarding burnout syndrome and what factors that can aid and prevent a recovery was presented.   To achieve the purpose of the study and investigate people’s stories about recovery from burnout a semi structured interview was used as the method. After the interviews were done the data was sorted, reduced and analyzed. The result showed that for a person to be able to get out of a state of burnout it is paramount for him/her to reflect over the situation and perform concrete alterations in their work life and everyday living. It could for example be putting up boundaries, take control over the situation and finding a balance between private life and work life. When the persons have gone through this alteration process the risk of once again ending up in a stadium of burnout is smaller. The reason for this is the person have learned more about themselves and developed as a person.

Background: Understanding complex psychological treatment mechanisms is important in order to refine and improve treatment. Mechanistic theories can be evaluated using mediation analysis methods. The Pacing, Graded Activity, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: A Randomised Evaluation (PACE) trial studied complex therapies for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. The aim of the project was to study different mediation analysis methods using PACE trial data, and to make trial design recommendations based upon the findings. Methods: PACE trial data were described using summary statistics and correlation analyses. Mediation estimates were derived using: the product of coefficients approach, instrumental variable (IV) methods with randomisation by baseline variables interactions as IVs, and dual process longitudinal structural equation models (SEM). Monte Carlo simulation studies were done to further explore the behaviour of IV estimators and to examine aspects of the SEM. Results: Cognitive and behavioural measures were mediators of the cognitive behavioural and graded exercise therapies in PACE. Results were robust when accounting for correlated measurement error and different SEM structures. Randomisation by baseline IVs were weak, giving imprecise and sometimes extreme estimates, leaving their utility unclear. A flexible version of a latent change SEM with contemporaneous mediation effects and contemporaneous correlated measurement errors was the most appropriate longitudinal model. Conclusions: IV methods using interaction IVs are unlikely to be useful; designs with randomised IV might be more suitable. Longitudinal SEM for mediation in clinical trials seems a promising approach. Mediation estimates from SEM were generally robust when allowing for correlated measurement error and for different model classes. Mediation analysis in trials should be longitudinal and should consider the number and timing of measures at the design stage. Using appropriate methods for studying mediation in trials will help clarify treatment mechanisms of action and allow for their refinement, which would maximize the information gained from trials and benefit patients.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a musculoskeletal and neurological disorder that causes constant pain, cognitive problems with short term memory, and sleep disorders. There are more females diagnosed with FM than males, and research has therefore primarily been conducted with females. Because little is known about African American males with FM, biopsychosocial theory was used in this phenomenological study to examine how African American males with FM are affected biologically, psychologically, and socially. Eight African American males diagnosed with FM were recruited from Houston, Texas and were interviewed about their lived experiences with FM, including experiences with the healthcare system, and how they used the internet to seek information about FM. Individual interview transcripts, conduct open coding, and thematic analysis led to identification of the following themes: (a) lengthy multiple medical evaluations to receive a diagnosis and various symptoms; (b) physical challenges, physical limitations, emotional issues, and cognitive issues experienced with FM; (c) limited physical and emotional support from family and friends; (d) hopeful about work and plans; (e) trust and confidence in healthcare providers and medical information obtained by asking questions; (f) limited internet search and not involved in online FM forums. The study showed that African American males with FM may experience debilitating symptoms and may use faith-based beliefs as one way to cope with FM. These results may bring positive social changes by providing caretakers with a better understanding of how FM affects the quality of life of African American males with FM, and provide new data to assist healthcare providers in diagnosing, treating, and serving this population.

Individuals with non-apparent, physical disabilities face unique social challenges from those that are encountered by the more visibly disabled. The absence of visible cues indicating physical impairment causes ambiguity in social situations, leaving the sufferer vulnerable to moral judgments and social sanctions when they are unable to embody and perform to cultural norms. This dynamic generates a closeted status that the individual must learn to navigate. Using Eve Sedgwick's "The Epistemology of the Closet," this paper deploys auto-ethnography, traditional ethnographic techniques, and literature reviews to illuminate a third space of functioning between the outwardly 'healthy' and the visibly disabled.