Psychosocial Correlates Of Illness Burden In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Author(s)

Michael H. Antoni, University of Miami
Andrew BrickmanFollow
Susan Lutgendorf
Nancy G. Klimas, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Ana Imia Fins, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Gail Ironson
Ruth Quillian
Maria Jose Miguez
Flavia van Riel
Robert Morgan
Roberto Patarca
Mary Ann Fletcher, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Clinical Infectious Diseases

ISSN

1058-4838

Publication Date

1-1994

Abstract

We related reported physical symptoms, cognitive appraisals (e.g., negative style of thinking), and coping strategies (e.g., denial/disengagement strategies) with illness burden across several functional domains separately in subsets of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients with (n = 26) and without (n = 39) concurrently diagnosed major depressive disorder (MDD). In regard to cognitive appraisal measures, automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes were strongly associated with a higher illness burden, as indicated in sickness impact profile (SIP) scores. Active-involvement coping strategies measured on COPE scales (active coping, planning, and positive reinterpretation and growth) were not associated with SIP scores, while other coping strategies (mental disengagement, behavioral disengagement, and denial) were positively correlated with psychosocial and physical SIP scales, especially those pertaining to interpersonal life-style arenas. After we accounted for the number of different CFS-specific physical complaints reported and DSM-III-R depression diagnosis status, cognitive appraisals and coping strategies predicted a substantial proportion of the variance in the severity of illness burden. For the most part, the magnitude of these relationships between our predictor model variables and illness burden severity was similar in the MDD and non-MDD subgroups.

DOI

10.1093/clinids/18.Supplement_1.S73

Volume

18

Issue

Suppl. 1

First Page

S73

Last Page

S78

NSUWorks Citation

Antoni, M. H., Brickman, A., Lutgendorf, S., Klimas, N. G., Fins, A. I., Ironson, G., Quillian, R., Miguez, M. J., van Riel, F., Morgan, R., Patarca, R., Fletcher, M. A. (1994). Psychosocial Correlates Of Illness Burden In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 18(Suppl. 1), S73-S78.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/225